SINGAPORE — About two hours into an early Monday (June 27) morning flight from Singapore to Milan, Italy, the pilot of Singapore Airlines flight 368 announced over the public address system that the plane would have to turn back. An engine oil warning message had been triggered, and the aircraft was returning to Changi Airport for safety reasons. 
 
 “I could feel the vibrations,” recalled passenger Amit Jain, 44, who was seated at the business-class section near the right engine that would eventually catch fire hours later. “There was a very strange sound, sort of like a slight screeching noise coming from the plane.” 
 
 Another passenger on SQ368, Ms Lee Bee Yee, told TODAY that she and her husband noticed a faint fuel-like smell in the economy cabin where they were seated. 
 
 But at that time, no one was particularly concerned about the announcement, recalled Mr Jain, the director of IT and enterprise resource planning at a multinational company. “Half of the passengers were sleeping,” he added. 
 
 Mr Jain was awake as the plane landed back at Changi airport at about 6.50am, more than four hours after it took off at about 2.25am. He had a good view of the Boeing 777-300ER’s right engine and did not notice anything unusual when the plane came to a halt. 
 
 Then he caught sight of a convoy of fire engines racing towards the aircraft. That was when he realised that SQ368’s right engine was on fire. “I saw the flames getting worse and worse. By the time the fire engines reached the plane, the flames were about a meter high. I could see the wing turn black from the heat,” Mr Jain recounted. 
 
 “When we could see the flames rising, some people were trying to remove their bags from the overhead compartments, which was crazy,” he told TODAY. “I heard a few people scream ‘Open the doors!’ and ‘Let us out!’ and they were standing in the aisle. I had to tell a lady, ‘if I had to run out I’m going to have to kick your bag out of the way’.” 
 
 Still, the pilot and crew managed to calm things down, repeatedly reminding passengers to stay in their seats while airport emergency services tackled the fire, passengers said. 
 
 A statement from Singapore Airlines said the fire was put out in minutes by the Airport Emergency Service team. “All passengers and crew on board disembarked safely. No injuries were reported,” the statement added. “The affected aircraft has been towed away and the clean-up of Runway 2 is underway.” 
 
 Ms Lee, the owner of an e-commerce luxury bags company, posted dramatic footage and photos of the aircraft’s right engine and wing engulfed in flames. She wrote on Facebook: “We were so close to death! I thank God I am alive! I going home to hug my kids.” 
 
 Mr Jain said at one point he could feel a bit of the intense heat from the flames outside the plane. The passengers were not allowed to leave as firefighters sprayed water and foam to douse the flames. 
 
 “The foam was close to waist-deep for the firefighters,” he recalled. “The pilot came on the public address system a couple of times to tell passengers to stay calm and that fire was being put out.” 
 
 Added Ms Lee, who postponed her trip and headed home with her husband after their ordeal: “We are very grateful to the air crew and the firefighters. Everyone did a good job.” 
 
 A rescheduled flight with a new crew took off for Milan after 10am on Monday. It was unclear how many passengers pressed on with their trip. Singapore Airlines said it had offered passengers the option to defer or reschedule their travel. 
 
 Mr Jain was one of many passengers who pressed on with his trip to Milan. Those who boarded the new flight with him did not seem too rattled. 
 
 He told TODAY before boarding his rescheduled flight: “Most of the passengers are in the lounge right now. Snacks being served. People don’t look distressed, at least to me. It’s mostly calm.” 
 
 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote on Facebook that he was relieved all the people onboard were safely disembarked. “Thanks to SQ and Changi Airport for the swift response. SQ and CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) are investigating the cause, and will get to the bottom of the matter,” said Mr Lee. 
 
 Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan also wrote on Facebook that he was relieved to learn of the safe emergency landing. “Incident is being investigated, as to the cause and whether any of our procedures can be improved further,” he said. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Watch: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire 
 
 A Singapore Airlines plane bound for Milan caught fire shortly after making an emergency landing. 
 
 Flight SQ368, which departed at 02:05 local time on Monday (18:00 GMT Sunday), was two hours into the flight when the pilot announced there was an engine problem. 
 
 The plane turned back and landed before the right engine of the Boeing 777 burst into flames. 
 
 All 222 passengers and 19 crew on board were safely evacuated. 
 
 "We were in the air for roughly an hour before we began to smell gas," one passenger who gave his name as Chuan told the BBC. 
 
 "The pilot came on the intercom and said that there was an oil leak in one of the engines and that they were going to turn and go back to Singapore." 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption Firefighters took about five to 10 minutes to extinguish the flames on the plane 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption Everyone on board was safely evacuated 
 
 Chuan added that all the passengers were very calm and that he actually "went back to sleep" after the announcement was made. 
 
 It was only after he got off the flight that he realised how "close to death" he and his wife had been. 
 
 Firefighters took about five to 10 minutes to extinguish the flames, he said. 
 
 Passengers will be transferred to another aircraft which is expected to depart for Milan later on Monday, said Singapore Airlines in a statement on Facebook. ||||| Story highlights Right engine of Singapore Airlines flight SQ368 caught fire after emergency landing at Changi Airport 
 
 All of the 222 passengers and 19 crew disembarked safely 
 
 (CNN) A Singapore Airlines plane burst into flames Monday after an emergency landing at the city-state's Changi Airport. 
 
 Images posted to social media show flames leaping from the plane's wing. 
 
 "We were so close to death!! I am still in the plane with all passengers. But I think we are safe for now..." passenger Lee Bee Yee posted on Facebook. 
 
 From her seat, Yee could see the fire from inside the plane, and the aftermath as firefighters doused it with foam. 
 
 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing A cell phone photo shot by passenger Lee Bee Yee (facebook.com/premiummall.sg) shows the wing of a Singapore Airlines flight on fire upon landing at Changi Airport on June 27, 2016. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing Passengers were calm throughout the incident, said Lee. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing Firefighting foam coats the window of the plane after the landing. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing Firefighting crews were able to extinguish the blaze. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing The wing in the aftermath of the blaze. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing Lee thanks a firefighter as she disembarks the plane. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire after landing All passengers were safely evacuated after the blaze. Hide Caption 7 of 7 
 
 Flight SQ368, a Boeing 777-300ER, took off from Changi Airport around 2:25am on June 27 carrying 222 passengers and 19 crew, Singapore Airlines said. 
 
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– All 222 passengers and 19 crew from a Singapore Airlines flight are safe and unharmed after a terrifying incident early Monday. The airline says the Boeing 777-3000 was on its way from Singapore to Milan when the pilot decided to turn back after receiving an engine oil warning message, the AP reports. It landed back at Singapore's Changi Airport more then four hours later—and just after it came to a halt, its right engine burst into flames as horrified passengers looked on. "By the time the fire engines reached the plane, the flames were about a meter high," passenger Amit Jain tells Today. "When we could see the flames rising, some people were trying to remove their bags from the overhead compartments, which was crazy," he says. "I heard a few people scream 'Open the doors!' and 'Let us out!'" The airline and the airport say the blaze was extinguished within minutes, CNN reports. The passengers were transferred to another flight to Milan. Passengers say they could smell oil while the plane was in the air, but they didn't realize how close to death they were until afterward, the BBC reports. Analyst Greg Waldron at Flightglobal says it appears the pilots did everything right by turning back when they discovered the problem and dumping fuel along the way. "When the plane slows down as you land, fuel can cling to the wing and surfaces. Sparks from the hot brakes after they landed could have the triggered the fire and it does appear quite dramatic. But they appear to have gotten that under control very quickly," he says, per Reuters. "There don't appear to be any procedural issues here."