Terror in the sky: Photographer captures moment plane's engine catches fire minutes after take off Lufthansa Airbus caught fire in mid-air shortly after takeoff Plane left Helsinki airport only to have its left engine explode minutes later Travellers were left fearing for their lives after an airplane engine burst into flames thousands of feet above ground Minutes after the flight took off from a Helsinki airport with 168 people on board, the engine exploded and caught fire. The German-bound Airbus suffered a number of technical problems before streaks of flames emitted from the left engine, 15 minutes after leaving ground. Terror: The plane's left engine exploded and burst into flames just 15 minutes after takeoff from Helsinki-Vantaa airport on Saturday A blast rocked the Lufthansa Airbus A321-200 and eye witnesses reported hearing grinding noises before a number of bangs resonated through the fuselage. The plane's engine stalled and cut out while the blaze ripped through the aircraft, leaving it flying with just one engine. Pilots battled to control the jet and immediately U-turned to Helsinki, making an emergency landing just 20 minutes after taking off at around 6pm on Saturday. A spokesman for Helsinki-Vantaa airport said: "A Lufthansa flight had to make an emergency landing at Helsinki airport on Saturday evening due to a glitch in the plane's engine.' All clear: The Lufthansa Airbus was forced to make an emergency landing, but no passengers were harmed (file photo) The Frankfurt-bound flight took off from Helsinki airport, but the pilot brought the aircraft back to Helsinki after about an hour later as a mechanical glitch was detected in its engine. The pilot informed the airport control tower about the problems developed in the engine. The aircraft managed to land safely at Helsinki airport without suffering any injuries and the 162 passengers and six crew members were taken to a hotel. A full investigation has now been launched by the airliner and Airbus to determine the exact cause of the accident. The French-based firm, who produce the world's largest plane the A380, are yet to confirm if they will be suspending further flights of the A321.