There was fearful moment when an American Airlines plane caught fire mid-flight, sending passengers into a panic.
The jet, headed for Charlotte, North Carolina, had just taken off from Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport on Wednesday, June 25, when fire started coming out of one of the engines.
Pilots onboard the plane, which was carrying 153 passengers and six crew, had to quickly divert course back to the airport after passengers spotted the flames.
Footage has since emerged on social media showing the jet with a trail of black smoke following it. Fire can be seen spurting out of the side of the engine.
Shortly after, the aircraft was returned to the airport, where an inspection was carried out.
Nobody onboard was injured, officials said.
Construction worker Richard Pedrosa told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that he had heard a loud bang before spotting the plane overheard with its engine on fire.
He said: “I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s going to explode’, I was kind of scared because that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that, and I was hoping and praying that everybody was OK on the airplane.”
American Airlines said that maintenance teams found no evidence that the engine caught fire after inspecting the aircraft.
In a statement, the carrier said: “American Airlines flight 1665 returned to Las Vegas (LAS) shortly after takeoff due to a mechanical issue.
“The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and customers deplaned normally.
“We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the incident.
