A Boeing 737 cargo plane carrying Brazilian postal packages burst into flames Saturday at São Paulo International Airport in Guarulhos, Brazil, forcing an emergency landing and destroying significant portions of the aircraft and its cargo.
The Total Cargo aircraft, a Boeing 737-4Q8, made the emergency landing after crew reported a fire in the hold during its flight from Vitoria in Espirito Santo state. Firefighters battled intense flames that engulfed the passenger cabin, with footage showing emergency responders climbing ladders through orange flames and thick gray smoke billowing from the front door and wing areas.
The fire destroyed approximately 20% of the mail parcels aboard and severely damaged the plane’s fuselage, according to local authorities. No injuries were reported in the incident, which remains under investigation by Brazilian aviation officials.
The São Paulo incident adds to a series of recent Boeing aircraft emergencies worldwide. Last week, a Hainan Airlines Boeing 787 with 249 passengers made an emergency landing in Rome after a bird strike caused an engine fire. Days earlier, four passengers were injured evacuating a Boeing 737-500 in Indonesia’s Papua Province when flames appeared in an engine before takeoff.
In June, a Boeing 737 experienced engine fires during landing in New Zealand after multiple bird strikes, while in May, a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 747-400 carrying 450 Hajj pilgrims returned to Makassar airport after engine fire observations.
