DiCaprio escapes burning plane

Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the passengers on board the flight that burst into flames. The Inception star escaped disaster when he...

Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the passengers on board the flight that burst into flames on Sunday and the actor praised the pilot for landing the aircraft safely at JFK airport.

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"En route to attend the Tiger Summit in St Petersburg, Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the passengers aboard Delta Flight 30," read a statement released by the Titanic star's representatives.

"He wishes to commend the actions of the pilot and flight crew in bringing the plane to a safe landing," it said.

The Moscow bound aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK airport after one of its two engines caught on fire.

The New York Post reported on Sunday that pilots believe that the accident was caused by birds.

The Boeing 767 Delta flight carrying 193 passengers lost the engine just after takeoff at 4:25 pm, which said that the burning flight circled the airport for 90 minutes.

The plane landed just before 6 pm and no injuries were reported.