At 13:58 on Friday, January 7, 2022, flight DE1439 took off from Lanzarote Airport. The destination of the plane operated by the Condor airline was Hamburg in northern Germany. But a problem with the engine forced the crew to make an emergency landing on the neighboring Canary Island of Fuerteventura shortly after take-off, as «Bild» reported. What happened?
Just 18 seconds after take-off, several popping noises can be clearly heard, as can be seen from webcam recordings from Lanzarote airport. The moments of horror for the 209 passengers and the crew last ten seconds. According to “Bild” eyewitnesses observed sparks from the ground.
The captain then decided on an air emergency and asked for permission to land on Fuerteventura. A good half an hour later, the plane landed safely – no one was injured.
The passengers were transferred to another machine. What led to the engine problems is not yet clear and is currently being investigated. According to the newspaper, a bird strike or compressor damage are possible.