Terrifying moment packed passenger jet’s engine erupts into FLAMES after take-off as birds are sucked into turbine

THIS is the terrifying moment a packed passenger jet’s engine erupted into flames after take-off as birds are sucked into the turbine. The New Delhi-bound flight carrying 185 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines caught on fire. A passenger recorded the moment a jet engine on a flight they were on caught fireAnil Kumar - Twitter The New Delhi-bound plane has 185 passengers on boardAnil Kumar - Twitter Indian aviation authorities claim the jet engine was hit by a group of birdsAnil Kumar - Twitter The commercial flight landed in Patna, eastern India, on Sunday, officials said. The passengers aboard the domestic flight, operated by commercial carrier SpiceJet, were evacuated safely once the pilot returned to Patna airport shortly after take-off. “The flight returned to Patna airport after locals (on the ground) noticed a fire on the left wing of the aircraft and informed airport officials,” district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh told reporters. “All 185 passengers were safely deboarded. Reason for the fire is a technical glitch. The engineering team is analysing,” Singh added. MORE ON INDIA MANEATER Desperate hunt on for leopard after 3 children killed as 50 men sent to kill beast 'SICKO' SNARED Cops parade suspect who 'raped Brit during massage in front of her husband' A passenger told reporters they heard a barrage of noise coming from the plane’s wing in the first 15 minutes after take-off. “The pilot announced there was some problem and that we would be going back to Patna…. it was quite scary,” said Pacifica, who gave only one name. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the plane was struck by a bird before the left engine was shut down, a statement echoed by a SpiceJet spokesperson The no-frills airline has made headline in recent weeks over concerning safety breaches. Most read in The Sun WORTH THE WAIT Lucy Meck finally reveals daughter's incredibly cute name for Father's Day BLONDE BOMBSHELL Love Island's new girl Danica unrecognisable as a blonde before the villa LASH VEGAS JACK Jack Grealish leaves club with brunette beauty after Las Vegas night out ROYAL DRAMA Horse pulling Beatrice's carriage loses control after being spooked at Ascot MCFRIGHT Tom Fletcher left gasping for breath amid wife Giovanna's 'pregnancy announcement' 'HUMILIATED' Max Bowden leaves pregnant ex 'heartbroken' after getting with Shona McGarty Indian aviation authorities imposed a $12k fine after SpiceJet was found to have been training its Boeing 737 MAX pilots on a faulty simulator. In April, authorities barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from operating that aircraft, saying they were not properly trained, according to local media reports. The commercial SpiceJet flight had to make an emergency landingSWNS