Longtail Aviation originally wanted to operate a cargo flight from Maastricht to New York JFK on Saturday, but due to a malfunction of engine 1, the journey ended at Liège Airport. Parts went down and injured at least two people there, according to local media reports.

The Boeing 747-412BCF with the registration VQ-BWT was supposed to fly over the Atlantic as 6T5504, but a serious malfunction of the engine number 1, which is located on the left side, occurred over the Dutch sea. Some parts were blown off and caused considerable damage to the ground. For example, these fell on houses and automobiles. At least two people are said to have injured themselves. The Maastricht police initially only confirmed that a lady was hit in the head. However, local media also write that a child is said to have been burned.

The captain radioed “Pan Pan” and decided to make a safety landing at Liege Airport in Belgium. The Boeing 747 operated by Longtail Aviation is 30,1 years old and has been in operation since November 2020. The carrier is based in the Bermuda Islands. The average age of the fleet is around 25 years.

The cause of the malfunction is still unclear. The local accident investigators have already started their work. The cargo plane crew will be questioned shortly.