The plane returning Arsenal women’s team to London following their first-leg Champions League semi-final in Wolfsburg burst into flames after a bird flew into the engine.
Arsenal were travelling back to north London after clawing back a 2-2 draw against the Fraun-Bundelisga reigning champions VfL Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Stadium on Sunday.
But hours after the performance, startling photos from the scene show flames shooting from the engine on the Boeing 737, which was carrying the team on the runway at Germany’s Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport.
The Maltese airline plane made a loud bang just before taking off on Sunday, reports German newspaper BILD.
Passengers were quickly evacuated after the the plane was pulled up by pilots.
An airport spokesman told BILD a bird strike on the engine had caused the fire. The airport official added that nobody was hurt during the incident.
The Arsenal team and staff were put up in a nearby hotel for the night before they were safely flown to London on a replacement plane on Monday.
The airport is jointly owned by the car manufacturer Volkswagen Group which is based in Wolfsburg.
The company uses the airfield as the home base for their own airline fleet operated under the Volkswagen Air Services brand.
Arsenal return to action when they face Wolfsburg once again in their Champions League semi-final second leg at home on May 1.
Second-half goals from Rafaelle Souza and Stina Blackstenius saw to Arsenal’s resounding comeback draw.
The performance was particularly impressive after Jonas Eidevall’s side suffered injuries to marquee players Kim Little and Leah Williamson in the lead-up to their European clash.
With the tie on level terms as the Gunners return to north London, the WSL side will now fancy their chances of reaching a first European final since 2007.
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