A routine evening hop from Savannah to Atlanta took a dramatic turn on February 22nd 2026, when a departing Delta Air Lines jet suffered an engine failure moments after liftoff—an event that briefly ignited a grass fire beside the runway and prompted an emergency return.
The Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900, registered N942DZ, was operating flight DL-1067 from Savannah, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia with 179 passengers and six crew members on board. The aircraft had just departed runway 28 at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and was in its initial climb when the control tower contacted the crew, asking whether everything was okay after observing flames from the aircraft.
Moments later, the flight crew declared an emergency, reporting the loss of the left-hand engine, a CFM56 powerplant. Despite the sudden failure, the aircraft climbed to 3,000 feet and began positioning for a return to runway 28.
The failed engine emitted visible flames during the departure, which sparked a grass fire to the left of the runway. Air traffic control immediately dispatched airport emergency services to contain the blaze and instructed an inbound aircraft on approach to go around. Fire crews extinguished the grass fire within approximately 15 minutes, preventing further spread.
Meanwhile, DL-1067 remained airborne as the crew worked through checklists and prepared for a single-engine landing. About 25 minutes after departure, the aircraft touched down safely back on runway 28 and came to a stop on the runway. The auxiliary power unit was running, and both engines were shut down as a precaution.
The crew reported no abnormal indications at that point—no fire warnings, no smoke in the cockpit or cabin—and confirmed that the left engine had never generated a fire indication. They requested that emergency services conduct an external inspection of the aircraft, including checking the condition of the tyres. Responders reported that the main landing gear tyres appeared intact.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said: “Delta Air Lines Flight 1067 safely returned to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport around 7:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, Feb. 22, after an engine failed on departure. The Boeing 737 was headed to Atlanta. The FAA will investigate.”
Passengers were later reaccommodated on a replacement Boeing 737-900, registration N963DZ, which completed the journey to Atlanta with a delay of approximately nine hours.
While engine failures during climb-out are rare, modern twin-engine airliners are designed and certified to continue flight safely on a single engine. In this case, disciplined crew response, rapid coordination with air traffic control, and prompt action by airport emergency services ensured that what began as a fiery departure concluded as a controlled and uneventful return to the runway.
