On Monday, flydubai flight FZ576 en route from Kathmandu to Dubai experienced an apparent technical problem with one of its engines shortly after takeoff. At the same time, the plane was not turned around, it continued its journey to Dubai and landed safely there.
Observers on the ground filmed the moment when flames burst from the engine of a 10-year-old Boeing 737–800, and an amateur video filmed from inside the aircraft shows how a passenger suddenly lit up with a bright orange flash a few seconds after takeoff.
Instead of returning to Kathmandu for examination, the plane continued flying to Dubai as normal, sparking widespread speculation on social media.
The Dubai State News Agency quickly responded to the incident, citing a statement from the flydubai himself that a bird had hit the plane's engine as soon as it took off from the ground.
“After completing the standard screening procedures, the flight to Dubai will continue as usual,” — according to a statement attributed to a flydubai spokesperson.
Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority responded the next day, challenging this version of events. The aviation regulator said news of the bird raid on the Dubai Boeing “misleading”.
As a result, the operations manager and flydubai representative at Kathmandu Airport were denied entry to the airport and their passes were canceled by deactivation.
flydubai commented on the situation as follows: “The flight crew followed standard procedures after taking off from Kathmandu and determined that the engine parameters are within the normal range.” airport.
Meanwhile, the affected aircraft continues to fly as scheduled.