Watch moment smoke & flames spit from Boeing 777’s engine in front of shocked ground crew as passengers waited to board

THIS is the dramatic moment flames and thick smoke was filmed coming out of a Boeing 777-300 shortly before takeoff.

Airport staff were filmed dousing the tail with water from a high-pressure hose as shocked passengers watched on.

The swift actions of the airport crew potentially prevented a major incident.

The flight to Dubai was delayed after the Boeing plane was being refuelled at Chennai International Airport, India.

Approximately 320 people passengers remained in the terminal during the disruption, as reported by NeedToKnow.

The plane was eventually allowed to take off following safety checks.

The airline spokesperson added: “Emirates flight EK547 from Chennai to Dubai on 24 September was delayed due to a technical fault.

“Following an engineering inspection, the aircraft was cleared to proceed to Dubai.

“Emirates apologises for the inconvenience caused.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance.”

It’s not the first time a Boeing plane has been grounded.

The embattled aerospace company has been forced to ground its whole fleet of 777X test planes after cracks were found in the structure.

Workers reportedly found a concerning fracture on three out of four of the aircraft which had caused damage to a crucial engine component.

The initial test plane to be inspected was found to have a crack in it after it landed in Hawaii with an impaired structure over the weekend.

Two more planes were then checked once they touched down and found to have cracks in the crucial part of the assembly as well.

According to two sources close to Boeing, the issue led to the engine’s “thrust link” onboard being severed.

Thrust links are responsible for transferring the huge thrust of an engine to the structure of the jet through a titanium link sat beneath the wings.

A statement from Boeing to news outlet The Air Current said: “During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed.

“Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready.

“We are keeping the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) fully informed on the issue and have shared information with our customers.”

Boeing has previously labelled the 777X as one of their most state-of-the-art aircraft after years of development.

In July, a packed Boeing jet suffered a nightmare take-off when the plane’s tail scraped along the runway.

The Latam 777-300 was left with significant damage after the back end failed to rise at Milan airport – leaving a thick cloud of smoke and falling debris behind it.

The passenger jet, scheduled to head off to Sao Paulo, Brazil, was forced to return to Italy due to the mangled tail as security ordered an immediate inspection.

It spent around 75 minutes looping around the Milan Malpensa Airport nine times, data from FlightRadar showed.

Italian authorities say they are still investigating the blunder and are working with officials from Brazil and the US.

Footage shows the Boeing jet – which normally holds up to 500 passengers – travelling at speed across the runway with its nose gradually rising as it prepares for take-off.

The Latam pilot then spends 10 agonising seconds trying to lift up the tail as it drags along the hard, concrete floor.

Meanwhile, Boeing is set to plead guilt to criminal fraud conspiracy charges after two fatal 737 MAX crashes in the space of five months.

The company has also agreed to pay a £190 million fine ($243.6 USD) to resolve a U.S Justice Department investigation into the two crashes.

A Boeing 737 Max plane operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air crashed in late October 2018 shortly after take-off, killing all 189 people on board. Just months later, an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing all 157 passengers and crew.

The plea deal, which requires a judge’s approval, would brand the planemaker a convicted felon in connection with crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019 which killed 346 people.