An American Airlines The aircraft had to make an urgent landing after it was engulfed in flames during the flight.
The airplane heading to Charlotte, North Carolina , had barely lifted off from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport witnessed a fire breaking out from one of the engines early Wednesday morning.
The pilots aboard the aircraft, which was transporting 153 passengers and six crew members, were forced to swiftly change their flight path and return to the airport when travelers noticed fire.
Videos have surfaced online depicting the aircraft trailing a plume of dark smoke, with flames bursting from the edge of one of its engines.
Soon afterwards, the plane was sent back to the airfield for a thorough examination. Authorities stated that there were no injuries among those on board.
Construction worker Richard Pedrosa stated The Las Vegas Review-Journal he mentioned hearing a loud explosion prior to noticing the aircraft overhead with its engine engulfed in flames.
He stated: "I thought to myself, ‘Oh my goodness, this thing might blow up.’ I felt quite frightened since it was the first time witnessing such an event, and all I could do was hope and pray that everyone aboard the aircraft would be safe."
American Airlines stated that upon examining the plane, their maintenance crews discovered no signs indicating that the engine had been involved in a fire incident.
The airline issued a statement saying: "Flight 1665 of American Airlines turned back to Las Vegas (LAS) not long after departure because of a mechanical problem."
The plane moved itself to the terminal using its engine power, and passengers got off as usual.
We value the professionalism of our staff and express our gratitude to our team for their efforts in transporting our customers to their destinations with speed and efficiency.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated that they will look into the occurrence.
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