NEW DELHI: A United Airlines Boeing aircraft was compelled to perform an emergency landing in Texas on Monday shortly after commencing its flight when flames erupted from one of its engines.
Startling footage revealed vivid orange sparks emanating extensively from beneath the left wing of the plane, alarmingly close to the viewing windows of passengers.
The severity of the flames was such that they took on an almost white hue amidst the nocturnal backdrop.
The incident unfolded merely 15 minutes post-takeoff from George H Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport, heading towards Fort Myers, Florida. This alarming development was captured and shared by passenger Dorian D Cerda with Storyful.
A cabin crew member cautiously informed the passengers via intercom, “Hey ladies and gentlemen, we realized something happened outside,” before the recording concluded.
Following the mishap, United Airlines Flight 1118 was forced to make a swift return to the Houston airport from which it had recently departed.
The journey, initially intended to last two hours, was dramatically cut short, with no reported injuries from the frightening event.
“The airplane had barely lifted off the ground when I heard a loud bang and flames started shooting out of the engine on my side of the plane,” passenger Rachel Melendez Massen said. “It was terrifying to see.”
United Airlines responded to the incident, stating to Storyful, “flight 1118 returned to Houston shortly after takeoff due to an engine issue.”
They confirmed the flight’s safe landing and the orderly disembarkation of passengers. The airline promptly arranged an alternative aircraft to transport the passengers to their intended destination.
The aircraft in question was a Boeing 737-900, closely related in design to the more recent Max fleet, which faced grounding earlier in January following an unrelated incident involving an Alaska Airlines plane.
The exact cause behind the fire in the United Airlines engine remains undisclosed and is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
(With inputs from agencies)
Startling footage revealed vivid orange sparks emanating extensively from beneath the left wing of the plane, alarmingly close to the viewing windows of passengers.
The severity of the flames was such that they took on an almost white hue amidst the nocturnal backdrop.
The incident unfolded merely 15 minutes post-takeoff from George H Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport, heading towards Fort Myers, Florida. This alarming development was captured and shared by passenger Dorian D Cerda with Storyful.
A cabin crew member cautiously informed the passengers via intercom, “Hey ladies and gentlemen, we realized something happened outside,” before the recording concluded.
Following the mishap, United Airlines Flight 1118 was forced to make a swift return to the Houston airport from which it had recently departed.
The journey, initially intended to last two hours, was dramatically cut short, with no reported injuries from the frightening event.
“The airplane had barely lifted off the ground when I heard a loud bang and flames started shooting out of the engine on my side of the plane,” passenger Rachel Melendez Massen said. “It was terrifying to see.”
United Airlines responded to the incident, stating to Storyful, “flight 1118 returned to Houston shortly after takeoff due to an engine issue.”
They confirmed the flight’s safe landing and the orderly disembarkation of passengers. The airline promptly arranged an alternative aircraft to transport the passengers to their intended destination.
The aircraft in question was a Boeing 737-900, closely related in design to the more recent Max fleet, which faced grounding earlier in January following an unrelated incident involving an Alaska Airlines plane.
The exact cause behind the fire in the United Airlines engine remains undisclosed and is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
(With inputs from agencies)