Delta flight catches fire on runway after making emergency landing

Plane suffers mechanical problems shortly after take-off from Atlanta airport

A Delta flight caught fire shortly after landing at an airport in Atlanta, the airline has confirmed.

The plane was on its way to Quito, Ecuador, but suffered a mechanical problem shortly after take-off from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and was forced to return. The Federal Aviation Authority said the brakes locked up upon landing.

Footage from a passenger on another flight showed the plane’s landing gear on fire.

“Plane on fire on the runway at Atlanta Airport,” Ronnie Fernando wrote on Twitter. “Speculation as to what it was… looked kinda significant.”

The plane, which had 199 people on board, was towed back to the gate where the blaze was extinguished.

Passengers continued to Quito on a different flight, the airline said.

A Delta spokesperson told The Independent: "Flight 673 landed safely after returning to Atlanta for a mechanical issue. Upon landing, flames were noted and quickly extinguished on one of the aircraft’s landing gears."