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What: Monarch Airlines Airbus A321-200 en route from Birmingham to Tenerife
Where: Birmingham
When: Aug 3rd 2010
Who: 213 passengers
Why: After takeoff from Birmingham (UK), the left engine made an explosive noise, and began streaming fire and smoke. The crew turned off the engine and made an announcement to the passengers that they were going to make an emergency landing.

Although it was less than a quarter hour later that passengers were safely on the ground, they had plenty of time to be terrified. In an interview, a passenger told reporters that after the announcement the entire plane went silent except for the sobbing.

A replacement plane was sent from Gatwick.

George’s Point of View

As traumatic as it must have been, any landing where you make it out alive, is a good landing.