Arsenal women’s team plane catches fire on runway as pilot abandons take off during scary incident

The Arsenal women's team narrowly escaped disaster at Germany's Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport on Sunday, April 23. The squad was set to return to London following their intense 2-2 draw in the Champions League semi-final first-leg against Wolfsburg when their plane caught fire.

According to a witness, the plane made a loud bang and the engine caught fire ahead of take off. The pilots spotted the fire and swiftly halted the aircraft and evacuated all passengers, including the team and backroom staff.

German newspaper BILD reported that the fire resulted from a bird strike on the plane's engine. Thankfully, there were no injuries during the harrowing incident.

As a result of the incident, the team spent an extra night in Wolfsburg before returning to London on Monday. The club expressed its gratitude to the flight crew and airport personnel who expertly handled the situation. A statement from the club read (via TalkSPORT):

“Our aircraft developed a technical issue prior to take-off in Germany on Sunday evening. As a result, we remained in Wolfsburg overnight on Sunday before flying back to England on Monday afternoon. We would like to thank the staff onboard the aircraft and on the ground at the airport for their assistance.”

Arsenal will host Wolfsburg in London for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on Monday, May 1. The victor will then face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the final showdown at PSV Eindhoven's home ground, the Philips Stadion, on June 3.

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Wolfsburg Women 2-2 Arsenal Women: Match report

At Wolfsburg's Volkswagen Arena, Arsenal made a stunning return to the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final stage after a decade-long absence.

The initial 15 minutes were a tactical chess match, as both sides sought to assert dominance without yielding an inch. However, in the 19th minute, Ewa Pajor broke the stalemate for Wolfsburg after a decisive cross-field pass from Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Wolfsburg capitalized on a defensive blunder by Arsenal's Rafaelle, allowing Jonsdottir to score their second goal in the 24th minute. Yet, the Gunners were thrown a lifeline just before halftime, as Rafaelle redeemed herself with a soaring header that found the back of the net. The teams entered halftime with a 2-1 scoreline in favor of Wolfsburg.

The Gunners emerged in the second half with renewed vigor, seizing control of the match with a series of counterattacks. Their persistence finally bore fruit in the 69th minute when Lotte Wubben-Moy's masterful pass sliced through Wolfsburg's defense, enabling Victoria Pelova to set up Stina Blackstenius for the equalizer.

As the home leg against Wolfsburg approaches, the Gunners stand on the cusp of a historic Champions League final—a feat they have not achieved since their 2007 victory.