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Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300 operating flight DL104 from São Paulo/Guarulhos Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) to Atlanta (ATL) hub had to return to the Brazilian city shortly after takeoff last night due to a reported engine failure and fire. While the aircraft made a safe return to its point of origin, the incident is said to have caused a brush fire on the airport grounds as a result of the jet’s fiery falling debris.
A factor that further complicated the situation was the fact that only one runway was in use at the time of the incident due to routine maintenance procedures. As a result, operations at the Brazilian hub had to be temporarily put on hold, as the diverting Delta aircraft was given priority to return to the airport.
10 Minutes In The Air
Delta Air Lines flight DL104 is a regularly scheduled service from São Paulo to 
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. According to data from Flightradar24, it operates every day and has a block time of nine hours and 58 minutes, with the overnight flight leaving at 10:50 pm and landing at 7:48 am the next day. However, as reported by Aviacionline, last night’s iteration, operated by an Airbus A330-300, didn’t exactly go to plan.
Indeed, the jet is said to have experienced a left-hand engine failure on takeoff, with local ATC warning its crew that “you have fire on your wing.” This caused molten debris to fall to the grass below, causing a brush fire next to the runway. After stopping its climb at 4,500 feet, the jet made an expedited return to the airport, touching down at 11:59 pm, just 10 minutes after its departure at 11:49 pm. There were said to be 288 people on board.
Simple Flying has reached out to Delta Air Lines for further information regarding this incident. We will update our coverage if and when a statement is received.
Other Flights Had To Divert As A Result
With the incident garnering significant interest on social media, a passenger named Desmond Spencer took to Facebook to share his thoughts under a post made by Flightradar24. He said that “the engine immediately caught fire as soon as we rotated: first a loud bang with a few flames, (…) but then several more bangs and sustained fire.” He added that “people were losing their cool, especially in the rear, where we all had a clear view.”
Thankfully, the aircraft made a safe landing upon its return to São Paulo. However, routine maintenance to one of the airport’s two runways meant that, after the jet touched back down on the same strip it had departed from, no further flights could use the remaining runway for the time being. On this front, Aviacionline highlights that the aforementioned debris and grass fire forced the airport to temporarily suspend its operations after the incident.
This, as Flightradar24 covered on X, meant that several inbound flights had to hold or divert elsewhere while the situation was resolved. Tracking data made available by Flight Aware highlights the widespread nature of this disruption, as it shows that 16 outbound flights (4%) were canceled at GRU yesterday, with 145 (38%) being delayed. As far as arriving traffic was concerned, nine inbound flights (2%) were canceled, and 94 (25%) were late.
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The Aircraft Involved
Data from Flightradar24 shows that the Airbus A330-300 that was operating yesterday’s iteration of DL104 was a 19-year-old example that bears the registration N813NW. According to ch-aviation, and as hinted at by its registration, this aircraft began its career with Northwest Airlines, which it joined in 2006.
After three years at Northwest, the carrier’s merger with Delta saw it acquired by the latter carrier in December of 2009, although it has retained its original registration ever since. It can accommodate 282 passengers: 227 in economy class (24 with extra legroom), 21 in premium economy, and 34 in business class.
