An American Airline flight experienced a major mechanical failure and appeared to catch fire late Wednesday night en route to Seattle from Dallas. The plane safely returned to Dallas when it experienced a mechanical issue with an engine compressor, according to an American Airlines spokesperson. “The engine was not on fire,” the statement said.
One passenger was able to capture shocking video of the engine and wing, with a trail of fire bursting into the night sky.
VIDEO:
AA flight makes emergency landing after flames shoot from engine https://t.co/ENIkaedouFpic.twitter.com/OzbwIeC4N1
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) July 28, 2016
Residents on the ground could see the flames and hear the plane as it passed by and dialed 911 to report the situation. “I was out in the backyard taking my dogs out to go outside and I just started hearing a weird noise, I happened to look up and I just saw a plane flying above me on fire.” Arlington resident Bailey Patterson told KTVT Channel 11.
There were 130 passengers and six crew members on-board the Flight. The airbus took off around 10:50 pm on Wednesday night, when passengers and crew heard a loud bang. The pilots turned the plane around and landed safely in Dallas about 20 minutes later.
The incident left at least one passenger a little wary, posting to twitter the following
Flight to Seattle just had catastrophic engine failure…. So, love you guys.
— Matty Hops (@FrattyHops) July 28, 2016
While the video appears to show the plane on fire, officials with the airline explained that a compressor on the plane failed. The stall meant fuel leaked from the back of the engine and caused a trail of flames. Officials said the engine was always fully operational, never failed and never caught fire.
American Airlines Flight 438’s Flight Path:
@NBCDFW Flight path of AA 438. @ScottGordonNBC5@Bknox88pic.twitter.com/Scr4AzBsRy
— Brian E. (@behale8) July 28, 2016
No one was injured and all passengers were re-booked for flights on Thursday morning, and American Airlines added a special flight to accommodate the inconvenienced customers.
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