Singapore Airlines Flight 368 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Milan–Malpensa Airport in Italy.
On 27 June 2016, the Boeing 777-300ER operating the flight to Italy turned back to Singapore after an engine oil warning. While landing at Changi Airport, the plane’s right engine caught fire. All passengers successfully evacuated the aircraft. There were no injuries among the 241 passengers and crew involved.
Terrified passengers film their Boeing 777 burst into flames on the runway after emergency landing and watch from INSIDE the plane for five minutes as firefighters battle to put out the flames
Lee Bee Yee, 43, wrote in a Facebook post: ‘I just escaped death!!!!’ and described how those on board were asked to remain on the plane for a ‘heart-wrenching’ five minutes as firefighters tried to douse the flames.
The Singapore Airline plane was leaking oil for three hours after takeoff and had to turn back, said Yee.
But after reaching Changi Airport, as the plane was landing, the engine burst into flame.
‘They shot foam and water into the fire and eventually it was put out! We were so close to death!!’
‘I thank God I am alive! I going home to hug my kids.’
Flight SQ368 departed from Changi, Singapore bound for Milan, Italy but turned back two hours into the flight after an ‘engine oil warning message.’
‘The aircraft’s right engine caught fire after the aircraft touched down at Changi Airport at around 6:50am,’ Singapore Airlines said in a statement.
After the Boeing 7770-300ER landed the fire on board was extinguished by emergency crew
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Singapore (AAIB), which is responsible for investigating aviation accidents in Singapore, opened an investigation into the occurrence.
Investigation
Their investigation found that the right engine’s oil system was contaminated with fuel due to a crack in the engine’s main fuel oil heat exchanger (MFOHE). The engine’s manufacturer General Electric had already identified that certain MFOHEs were cracking and instructed that they be removed from the engines and inspected then repaired if necessary.
The Service Bulletin issued by General Electric detailing the inspection and repair recommended that the inspection of the MFOHE be done the next time the engine was sent to a workshop for maintenance. In the case of the engine that failed, the most recent time it had gone to a workshop was March 2014, several months before the bulletin had been issued.
