Terrifying moment Boeing plane catches fire mid air with 249 passengers on board

The terrifying moment a Boeing passenger plane caught on fire mid-air has been captured on camera.

Yesterday (10 November), a Hainan Airlines departed from Fiumicino Airport, Rome at 9.55am local time when one of the engines burst into flames shortly after take-off.

Footage recorded on the ground showed the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane making a crackling noise as it flew overheard, while orange flames could be seen shooting out from one of the engines.

Take a look at the terrifying footage below:

The aircraft had departed from the Italian capital and was en-route to Shenzhen in China, carrying 249 passengers and 16 crew members.

It's understood the aircraft was able to turn back and make a successful emergency landing at the airport after fuel dumping over the sea, a procedure which is common ahead of an emergency landing.

A statement from the Italian Coast Guard later confirmed the plane engine had apparently been struck by a bird before take-off, however there were no further delays at the airport, Reuters reports.

Why are birds such a significant threat to aircraft?

Given the size of a bird in relation to an aircraft, you wouldn't think they'd be much of a concern for pilots - however bird strikes can be extremely dangerous.

According to statistics shared by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, around 90 percent of bird strikes occur near airports due to flights being at a lower altitude during take-off, landing and flying at lower altitudes.

If a bird is to collide with an aircraft's engine it can cause severe damage to the fan blades and leading engine failure, which appeared to be the situation with the Hainan Airlines flight.

Due to this, several airports will use wildlife deterrents in order to minimise the presence of birds near runways, while manufacturers will also test the safety of aircraft by firing frozen chickens at the engines and cabin during construction.

Has a bird strike ever caused an plane to crash?

The largest number of fatalities directly linked to a bird strike on an engine occurred on 4 October 1960, when Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 encountered a flock of birds after departing from Boston airport.

62 out of the 72 entire occupants onboard were killed, while nine of out the 10 survivors suffered serious injuries.

Perhaps the most famous incident involving a bird strike was 2009's US Airways Flight 1549, which managed to successfully land on the Hudson river after the aircraft suffered dual engine failure due to a bird strike.

The miraculous story would later be the story of 2016 biographical film Sully: Miracle on the Hudson.

LADbible Group has approached Rome Fiumicino Airport and Hainan Airlines for comment.