Passenger Recalls 'Surreal Feeling' of 'Sprinting Away from Flaming Plane' After United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing
A United Airlines flight that took off from Los Angeles International Airport had to turn around and make an emergency landing after experiencing an issue with one of the engines, and a passenger onboard described the experience.
On Monday (March 2), United Airlines Flight 2127 “returned safely” to LAX after departing for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in statements to Just Jared.
The landing took place around 11:20 a.m. and was “due to a left engine issue,” the FAA reported, with United citing a “possible engine fire.” Fox News Digital reported that it had taken off just over an hour earlier at 10:15 a.m.
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“Customers deplaned via slides and airstairs and were bused to the terminal,” United’s statement continued, noting that none of the 256 passengers and 12 crew members were seriously injured. “We are grateful to our pilots and flight attendants for their quick actions to keep our customers safe.”
United noted that passengers onboard were rerouted and took a different aircraft to Newark.
Speaking to CBS News, Harry Gestetner, a passenger onboard, described the experience.
He recalled that he heard what the outlet referred to as “loud knocking noises that reverberated through the cabin just after takeoff.” Flight attendants reportedly “rushed to the windows” to see what was happening.
After executing the landing, Gestetner was one of the first people to exit the aircraft via a slide as he was sitting in the emergency exit row.
“I think we were particularly worried given we were in the exit row, which, you know, we found out the hard way is not just for extra leg room,” he told the outlet.
Describing the exit, he said, “Sort of a surreal feeling to be sprinting away from a flaming plane on the tarmac at LAX.”
Citing LiveATC.net, CNN reported that the pilots were in touch with airport firefighters as they returned to LAX.
They reportedly deployed extinguishers that were built into the engine, but one pilot told the emergency responders that they were “getting fire indications still” and would need to evacuate the aircraft.
“People are going to be coming out the right side, the side toward the runway. We would prefer to stay right here and just get people off,” one of the pilots said. “We have another indication, it came back on that we have a fire on the left engine.”
Video obtained by Fox shows firefighters spraying down the smoking plane with water while CNN obtained footage of flight attendants safely getting the passengers deplaned.