An Airbus A320 operated by LATAM Airlines burst into flames on the runway at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, forcing the evacuation of all passengers. The incident occurred on Monday as flight LA2302, bound for Piura in north-west Peru, was lining up for take-off.
LATAM Airlines Peru described the event as an "unforeseen technical event" and confirmed to local media that all passengers disembarked safely, with no injuries reported. The fire broke out in the aircraft's left engine, and the captain reported a problem with the left landing gear, triggering emergency protocols.
Investigation launched after runway incident
A formal investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire. The airline has not identified the component that failed and has so far avoided referring to the incident as a fire in its official statements.
The aircraft, identified by aviation outlets as bearing the registration CC-BFS, remained on the ground for technical inspection. Passengers were booked onto replacement flights.
LATAM Airlines response and context
LATAM Airlines is a Chilean airline headquartered in Santiago, Chile. The Mirror has contacted the airline for comment.
The incident follows a separate emergency involving a Bombardier Challenger CL60 business jet that issued a "mayday" distress call shortly after take-off from Nigeria's capital. That aircraft, flight DWC052, departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 4.17pm UTC last Thursday, bound for Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, and declared an emergency three minutes after take-off when a cabin door opened and detached mid-flight. The crew was instructed to return to Abuja for an emergency landing, where a duty controller observed the door was missing. There were no reports of injuries.
