Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight faced a heart-stopping moment after a suspected engine fire forced the aircraft to make a dramatic emergency landing.
Flight AA 1252, which departed from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport bound for Philadelphia, was abruptly diverted to Tampa International Airport on Wednesday following reports of a potential blaze in one of its engines.
The alarming incident unfolded mid-flight, with travellers reporting hearing a terrifyingly loud bang. One passenger described seeing flames emanating from the engine, sparking panic onboard.
‘All of a sudden we heard a really loud boom and the entire plane shook,’ recounted passenger Carly O'Brien to DailyMail.com. ‘We looked out and saw flames coming from the engine. It was pretty scary.’
The pilot acted swiftly, announcing the intention to perform an emergency landing. The aircraft was safely escorted to the ground in Tampa by emergency service vehicles, which were pre-deployed as a precautionary measure.
American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement, attributing the diversion to a ‘possible mechanical issue’.
‘American Airlines flight 1252 from Phoenix (PHX) to Philadelphia (PHL) diverted to Tampa (TPA) due to a possible mechanical issue,’ the carrier said. ‘The aircraft landed safely at 4:45 p.m. local time and was met by emergency vehicles as a precaution. We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans and apologise for the inconvenience.’
All passengers and crew disembarked safely without injury. The airline is now making arrangements to get customers to their final destination on alternative flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to launch an investigation into the cause of the incident.
