Former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer walked away unscathed when the airplane in which he was flying from Savannah to Atlanta suffered a mechanical issue that resulted in a fire.
Szafnauer and his fellow passengers were safely evacuated.
Otmar Szafnauer safe after engine failure
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
The Boeing 737-900, flying from Savannah to Atlanta, suffered a “mechanical issue”, as per Delta, on take-off that caused the left engine to fail.
Although the airplane did take off, it circled back around and landed in Savannah where fire trucks and emergency personnel were on hand.
The passengers safely disembarked without issue.
“Fuel burning from the failed engine,” Szafnauer wrote on Instagram.
Delta airline confirmed: “Delta flight 1067 from Savannah to Atlanta returned to the airport soon after take-off Sunday evening, following a mechanical issue with the aircraft’s left engine.
“The Boeing 737-900 landed safely and was met by fire trucks, and customers deplaned normally at the gate.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. We are working to reaccommodate all customers on alternate flights. We apologise to our customers for this delay in their travels.”
Meanwhile, a woman who was on the flight with Szafnauer, Holly Kesler, gave a bit more detail as she shared her experience on X.
She wrote: “What a relief and a huge shoutout to the incredible pilot and crew of Delta Flight DL1067 — engines blew during take-off en route to Atlanta — but they expertly looped back and landed everyone safely.
“The howling winds today have continued to fuel the fires around the Savannah Airport. Grateful beyond words for their skill and calm under pressure.
“Heroes in the sky today!”
Savannah – Hilton Head
International ✈️🔥What a relief and a huge shoutout to the incredible pilot and crew of Delta Flight DL1067—engines blew during takeoff en route to Atlanta—but they expertly looped back and landed everyone safely. The howling winds today have continued… pic.twitter.com/wH6zE9Zcu5
— Holly Kesler (@HollyKesler) February 23, 2026
Szafnauer left the Formula 1 paddock in January 2022 when the former Aston Martin team principal lost his role as Alpine team boss.
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: Can Adrian Newey and ADUO save Aston Martin’s F1 2026 season?
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this