A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration 9V-SWB performing flight SQ-368 from Singapore (Singapore) to Milan Malpensa (Italy) with 222 passengers and 19 crew, was enroute at FL300 over the Andaman Sea about 2 hours into the flight when the crew decided to descend the aircraft to FL170 and return to Singapore due to an oil leak at the right hand engine (GE90). The aircraft landed safely on Singapore’s runway 20C about 2:20 hours later and slowed down. While passengers broke into clapping and cheering and the aircraft turned off the runway, a spark was seen at the right hand side causing the right hand engine and wing to catch fire, the aircraft stopped on the taxiway, emergency services sprung into action and extinguished the fire, the crew kept the passengers on board while firefighters doused the fire. The passengers subsequently disembarked via stairs. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to right engine and right wing.
The airline reported the aircraft returned due to an engine oil warning light, the right hand engine caught fire after the aircraft touched down, the fire was put out by airport emergency services. The passengers disembarked via stairs and were bussed to the terminal.
A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration 9V-SWF is estimated to reach Milan with a delay of 9 hours.
The Aviation Herald