SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL— A Delta Air Lines (DL) Airbus A330-300, operating flight DL104 from São Paulo/Guarulhos Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), suffered a serious left-engine failure seconds after takeoff on the night of March 29, 2026.
The aircraft, registered N813NW, carried 288 people on board and returned safely to GRU within approximately 10 minutes.
Burning debris fell from the engine onto the grass beside the runway, igniting a brush fire inside the airport perimeter. As reported by AEROIN, the incident forced the temporary suspension of all operations at GRU, one of South America’s busiest aviation hubs.
Delta A330 Engine Fire and Failure at Sao Paulo
Flight DL104 departed São Paulo at 23:49 local time on March 29. The aircraft had climbed only a couple of hundred feet when the engine failure occurred, forcing the crew to turn back. Within 10 minutes, the aircraft was back on the ground safely.
The A330-300 suffered a catastrophic failure in its left engine shortly after rotation at GRU. Incandescent debris from the engine fell onto the grass adjacent to the runway, causing a brush fire within the airport perimeter.
Witnesses on the ground and residents living under the aircraft’s departure corridor reported multiple loud bangs followed by large flames trailing from the engine, reaching an altitude of approximately 4,500 feet before the crew initiated a turn back toward the airport.
Air traffic control alerted the crew almost immediately after the fire became visible from the tower.
The controller radioed: “Delta, you have fire on your wings,” to which the pilot confirmed the emergency and stated the aircraft needed to return. The exchange reflected a swift and coordinated response between the crew and the ground team.
The aircraft is equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4168A engines. Failures of this nature can result from foreign object debris (FOD) ingestion or bird strikes and normally trigger nacelle fire suppression systems using Halon.
A bird strike has been listed as a possible cause, as another aircraft had previously reported a bird sighting in the area, though this has not been confirmed by investigators.
Aircraft Background and Fleet Details
The Airbus A330-300 operating DL104 was a 19-year-old example that began its career with Northwest Airlines in 2006. Following Northwest’s merger with Delta, the aircraft was acquired by Delta Air Lines in December 2009. Though it has retained its original registration N813NW ever since.
Of the A330-300 variant, Delta Air Lines has 31 in their fleet, of which 28 are in active service, and three are parked, with an average fleet age of 17.2 years.
The age of the involved aircraft and its engine type are expected to be central points of focus in the formal technical investigation.
Single Active Runway Complicated the Emergency Response
Runway 10R/28L was closed for maintenance at the time of the incident, creating a bottleneck. The A330 had to land on runway 10L, the same runway from which it had taken off, as it was the airport’s only active runway available.
Metallic debris on the runway and the fire forced a temporary suspension of airport operations. The incident disrupted schedules for several international departures.
Airport firefighters, who had been alerted by the control tower shortly after takeoff, responded to both the grass fire beside the runway and the arriving aircraft. The Delta jet remained stationary on the runway at the time of initial reporting.
Investigation and Passenger Safety
No injuries were reported among the passengers and crew on board. The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.
An investigation into the mechanical failure is expected from Brazil’s aviation authority, CENIPA, and potentially the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Delta Air Lines cancelled the flight and cited mechanical issues. Passengers are expected to be rebooked on alternative services while the aircraft undergoes a detailed technical inspection.
The Guarulhos incident adds to a series of engine-related emergencies involving Delta aircraft in recent months.
In February 2026, a Delta Boeing 737-900 lost its left engine during takeoff from Savannah, Georgia, igniting a grass fire along the taxiway. Further, in July 2025, a Delta Boeing 767-400 suffered an engine fire after takeoff from Los Angeles, requiring an emergency return with no injuries.
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