“The pilot  detected fire in one of the plane’s engines. He switched off the engine and then declared an emergency landing,” he said.

The source, however, said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority. The accident did not result in any injuries among the crew members or major damage to the aircraft except for the engine that caught fire.

The aircraft is currently grounded at the Sharjah airport pending repair and investigation.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.ae