A cargo plane departing Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) lost metal parts as it took off to its New York destination. It appears that these fragments came from an engine failure, with sources noting that the aircraft involved is a Boeing 747-400. Sources also report that some people on the ground have been slightly injured while various cars and property was damaged as a result of the fragments coming down. The aircraft was diverted to Liege.
What we know so far
According to Dutch website Up in the Sky, the flight involved was LGT5504 with a Boeing 747-400 freighter operated by Longtail Aviation. The 30-year-old aircraft is registered as VQ-BWT. Video taken and posted to Twitter shows the 747 emitting smoke above the skies of Meerssen – less than three kilometers from the Maastricht Aachen Airport runway.
NOS.nl reports that pieces of metal came down from the aircraft in the Meerssen area, adding that two people were hit by the debris, sustaining minor injuries. A woman was sent to the hospital with a head injury. Additionally, cars and homes were damaged but at this point, the extent of the damage is unknown.
There is a suspicion that an object was ingested, causing damage to the turbine blades.
Vliegtuig in Meerssen verliest onderdelen…. 😱 #meerssen #Boeing747 #failure @NUnl pic.twitter.com/cX1k5zg86M
— Robin Eygelshoven (@r_eygelshoven) February 20, 2021
Flight details
Taking off at around 16:10 CET, flight LGT5504 was bound for New York. However, due to losing an engine, the aircraft diverted. Flying on three engines, it landed in Belgium at the airport in Liège (LGG).
As this is a developing story, more information will be included as it becomes available.
