Crew tried to abort landing moments before Emirates jet crashed at Dubai airport – as expert says 50C heat set plane on fire
Aviation expert David Learmount says extreme temperatures could have set light to fuel vapour on Dubai runway
THE pilots of an Emirates jet which exploded on a Dubai runway today tried to abort the landing, it has been claimed.
Upon their approach to the tarmac they requested a "go around" - a common manoeuvre which means they would pull up from the tarmac despite having begun their descent.
According to The Aviation Herald, while the landing gear was retracted the Boeing 777 did not climb and instead crashed into the ground.
It also emerged today that scorching weather conditions could have sparked the explosive fireball that tore through the jet after it crash-landed.
All 300 people on board were scrambled from the Boeing 777 before it erupted into an inferno after skidding along the airport's runway this morning.
And flight expert David Learmount believes scorching temperatures hitting the Middle East this summer could have been to blame.
He said: "The images tell us nothing except the aircraft eventually caught fire, but it certainly doesn't tell us why it did.
"It was an incredibly hot day, it was very nearly 50 degrees.
"If you get a damaged wing and fuel comes out of it, it vaporises in temperatures like that and vapour is highly inflammable."
He added that it was "very likely" the air temperature had been a factor in the blaze.
Learmount continued: "There have been accidents where 777s have been very badly damaged during a landing and yet we haven't had a fire like that."
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The plane's passengers, including 24 Brits, were informed there was a problem with the aircraft as it came in to land at Dubai's International Airport.
Within moments, exclusive Sun footage shows how passengers were scrambled off the plane before fleeing across the tarmac.
Firefighters raced to the scene as fire tore through the giant Boeing 777 when it crashed after flying in from Trivandrum, southern India.
Chilling images reveal the top of the aircraft - which was carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew - was all but destroyed by the intense blaze.
Inflatable escape slides could be seen dangling from the side of the aircraft.
One passenger said: "In no time the cabin was filled with smoke. There was no announcement.
"The emergency door was forced open. Many of us now feel we have breathing problems because of the smoke."
Horrifying images show the fuselage of the jet explode into a huge fireball after it came to rest on the runway.
UAE government officials confirmed: "All passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported so far.
"Concerned authorities at Dubai International Airport are dealing with the incident at the moment to ensure safety of all."
One witness was Brit Chris Galusha, who landed on a different flight just minutes before the crash.
He tweeted: "I touched down about 25 minutes before this happened. Airport closed - delays of 4-5 hours!"
Praising the speedy rescue mission, he added: "Thank God everyone made it out safely. An excellent job by the #Emirates flight crew."
In one video posted online a British woman can be heard to gasp: "Are there people in that plane? Oh my god, the smoke's getting darker."
The investigation and clean-up operation raises the prospect of severe travel delays for thousands of Brits.
The terminal is a key stop-off for passengers flying between Europe, the Far East and Australia.
An Emirates statement read: "[We] can confirm that today, 3rd August 2016, flight EK521 travelling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has been involved in an accident at Dubai International Airport.
"Our main priority at this time is the safety and well-being of all involved and full co-operation is being extended to the authorities and emergency services managing the situation."
Of the 300 on board, 226 were Indian, 11 from the UAE, six from Saudi Arabia, five from Turkey with individual passengers from several other nations.
Dubai International Airport handled 78 million passengers last year - three million more than the UK's busiest airport, London Heathrow.
Emirates is one of the world's largest airlines, carrying 52 million passengers last year.
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