MOSCOW – Earlier this week the engine of a Boeing 737 – operated by Russia’s Utair airlines from Moscow to Makhachkala – has caught fire on the runway just before take off at Vnukovo airport.

Passengers of the aircraft noticed a burst of flames outside the jet – coming from the right engine of the B737 – and opened an emergency hatch to investigate, the Utair airline said. They reportedly exited the plane and walked out on to the right wing, but returned at the request of the crew. One passenger caught footage of the flames.

The airline said the malfunction was caused by an interruption of airflow.

“The situation is regular, the plane is fully operational, nothing threatened the passengers,” airline officials said, but added they would use another plane for the flight to Makhachkala.

Utair is a Russian airline with its head office at Khanty-Mansiysk Airport, while its hubs are at Surgut International Airport and Vnukovo International Airport. It operates scheduled domestic and some international passenger services, scheduled helicopter services, and extensive charter flights with fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in support of the oil and gas industry across western Siberia.

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(Top photo: Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)])