Passengers on Royal Air Maroc, AT 569, from Lungi International Airport (FNA) to Casablanca had a scary moment as their plane engine nearly caught fire 30 minutes after take-off, on Friday 23rd September 2022.

The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Monrovia’s Roberts International Airport, one of the passengers heading to New York said after landing.

The Boeing 737 – 800 aircraft took off at 5:30 am and encountered technical problems less than an hour into the journey. That sent the passengers into a panic, with some screaming and others praying.

The number of passengers on board is not known, but all of them landed safely, and no injuries were reported.

Aircraft maintenance technicians in Monrovia were able to fix the problem forty-five minutes after landing. The plane left shortly after the problem was fixed and it landed safely at Terminal 2 of the Mohamed V International Airport Casablanca in the early afternoon.

After landing, a senior airline staff reportedly told the passengers that, “This type of incident is extremely rare, adding, Royal Air Maroc crews are regularly trained to manage such abnormal situations”.

The newly posted Royal Air Maroc Country Manager who was also on the flight could not be reached immediately as his telephone lines were all switched off. But a local staff at the airline’s Wilkinson Road Office in the West End of Freetown who preferred anonymity says the airline regrets any inconveniences the incident caused to its passengers and assures the traveling public of its full commitment to the safety of Its passengers.