Summary
- Thai Lion Air Boeing 737 makes emergency landing after engine catches fire due to a possible bird strike.
- Engine fires in aircraft are uncommon but can be caused by bird strikes.
- Bird strikes are a daily occurrence, but the rate of strikes is still low compared to the number of planes in the air.
A Thai Lion Air Boeing 737 aircraft made an emergency landing on November 24, 2023, after one of its engines made a loud bang and caught fire, according to a report by Aviation Herald.
Incident details
The airline’s Boeing 737-800, registered as HS-LGJ, was operating domestic flight SL538 from Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) to Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) when the aircraft’s right engine unexpectedly caught fire. This prompted the flight crew to shut down the engine and return to its departure destination.
The aircraft safely returned to Don Mueang Airport, making a landing on runway 21R approximately 30 minutes after departure, according to Flightradar24.com. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Simple Flying has reached out to Thai Lion Air for a comment.
According to a report from the local Thai media outlet Thai PBS World, the engine fire is believed to have been caused by a bird strike as the captain announced they had flown through a flock of birds at ant altitude of about 6,000 feet (1.8 km). Typically, flights between DMK airport and CEI airport last for an hour.
It is worth noting that the carrier’s Boeing 737-800 is 5.4 years old and was initially operated by the airline’s parent company, Lion Air, according to Planespotters.net. This particular aircraft was initially designated for international flights but was later reassigned to domestic service. Thai Lion Air currently has a total of 16 Boeing 737-800 aircraft in its fleet, all of which are based at Don Mueang Airport. Thai Lion Air’s parent company, Lion Air Group, manages a fleet of 365 aircraft, predominantly consisting of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s.
Engine fires
Engine fires, while not common, are not unheard of. In September 2023, an Air China Airbus A320neo aircraft made an emergency landing at Changi Airport (SIN) after the aircraft’s left engine caught fire.
The engines and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generate significant heat, leading to the installation of sophisticated fire detection and extinguishing systems in close proximity to these components.
Photo: Pojana Jermsawat | Shutterstock
Furthermore, bird strikes have the potential to result in engine explosions and subsequent fires. It is noteworthy that nearly fifty bird strikes are documented on a daily basis, with only a small fraction leading to significant damage. According to the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an average of 47 aircraft strikes are reported daily, and the majority—around 97% of bird strikes—occur in proximity to takeoffs or landings.
Still, the rate of bird strikes is still incredibly low compared to the number of planes in the air at any given time.
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Sources: Aviation Herald, Thai PBS World, Planespotters.net, Flightradar24.com, Federal Aviation Administration