A SA Airways aircraft en route to Lusaka, Zambia had to turn back because the port engine caught fire, a passenger has claimed.
Johannesburg - A South African Airways (SAA) aircraft en route to Lusaka, Zambia on Tuesday night, had to turn back because the port engine caught fire, a passenger claimed.
However, SAA has denied that any fire had broken out on the plane.
Before the flight had even left the ground passengers were told that there was a problem with the engine and that the flight would be delayed, a passenger Manuel Julies told Sapa.
Then, half an hour after they were in the air the pilot told them the left engine had caught fire. The plane landed safely again at Johannesburg International Airport, said Julies. However, "everyone is still scared".
James Kamanga, SAA reservations supervisor, said there had not been a fire on the aircraft. The engine had started heating up and the pilot had thought it prudent to return to the airport.
"There wasn't any fire, there was a fire warning. There was no fire at all," he said.
The flight was rescheduled on another aeroplane for later on Tuesday evening. Julies said the passengers were not happy about taking off again on Tuesday night and would have preferred to make the trip on Wednesday.