A “suspected mechanical issue” forced a Spirit Airlines plane going from Jamaica to Florida to return to Jamaica on Sunday, and the pilot warned passengers a water landing was possible, CNN reported.
Bettina Rogers, one of the passengers on that plane, told CNN that during the takeoff a mysterious chiming sound could be heard twice and that the pilot initially told the passengers that there was “nothing to be alarmed about.” The pilot phoned the passengers five minutes later to inform them that the plane was turning around and that people needed to “[p]repare for emergency water landing,” CNN reported. (RELATED: ‘I Can’t Breathe … This Is George Floyd’: Woman’s Over-The-Top Breakdown On Spirit Airlines Caught On Video)
Spirit Airlines passenger says cabin prepared for a possible water landing after flight suffered an apparent mechanical issuehttps://t.co/wBNQQT41Te
— Jack Scott – Business Consultant / Coach (@JWalterScott) May 28, 2024
“It was scary, and people were freaking out and panicking,” Rogers told the outlet. A video on TikTok showed the reaction of the passengers to the dire announcement.
@mztinamarie33 Spirit flight wmergency landing today first time ever🤦🏾♀️#emergencylanding #spiritflights #waterlanding #fyp#jamaica #onthisday #fypage ♬ Jamaica Jamaica – Busy Signal
The plane managed to successfully make it back to Jamaica without the need for landing in the water, CNN reported. Spirit Airlines issued a statement that the pilot’s decision to turn back was made “out of an abundance of caution” and that passengers exited the plane “under normal procedures.”
A new plane was chartered to take them to their desired destination in Florida, the airline said.
“Safety is our top priority, and the aircraft will be thoroughly evaluated by our maintenance team,” Spirit Airlines said, the outlet reported. “We apologize to our Guests for any inconvenience.”
