Delta Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Atlanta After 'Small Fire' in Engine

A Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing just minutes into its flight from Atlanta to London after an engine caught fire, causing smoke to billow out of the plane.

Video posted to Twitter by a Fox5 photojournalist on the flight shows smoke pouring out of the engine while the plane sits on the runway following the emergency landing.

The incident on Wednesday April 18 occured at around 6 p.m., shortly after Delta flight 30 took off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Airport officials said the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting service hosed down the engine and there were no injuries.

"Delta flight 30 from Atlanta to London returned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday after an issue with its number 2 engine," the airline said in a statement.

"The flight landed without incident and airport response vehicles met the aircraft upon arrival. The airplane was towed to the gate, where customers deplaned through the jetway and will be accommodated on a different aircraft.

"The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we apologize to our customers on this flight."

Aiun Nettles, who works for Fox5 in Atlanta, posted videos and images of the incident to his Twitter account.

"Tense moments 20-30 minutes after take off... on my flight to London @Delta flight 30... a small fire occurred on the right engine @FOX5Atlanta all crew and passengers including myself are safe," Nettles tweeted.

He recorded passengers laughing and clapping as the plane landed safely.

The emergency landing comes days after a Southwest Airlines pilot was called a hero for guiding her plane to an airport despite the disintegration of one engine and a hole in the side of her aircraft.

Tammie Jo Shults, who was one of America's first female fighter pilots, spoke calmly with air traffic control as she carried out the emergency landing at Philadelphia a short way into the flight from New York to Dallas.

One of the jet engines broke apart around 20 minutes into the flight, sending debris into the side of the plane. A passenger window smashed and a lady sitting in an adjacent seat was almost sucked out by the air pressure. She died of her injuries.

The victim was named as Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old mother of two from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She died of blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso, said Philadelphia health officials.

While speaking to Philadelphia air traffic control, which was guiding her Boeing 737 and its 144 passengers and five crew in to land at the city's international airport, Shults was asked if her plane is on fire.

"No, it's not on fire, but part of it's missing," she says, coolly. "They said there's a hole and someone went out." The air traffic controller, taken aback, replies: "I'm sorry, you said there's a hole and somebody went out? Southwest 1380, don't worry, we'll work it out."