Thursday, June 26, 2025 - An American Airlines plane caught fire midflight, sending passengers into a panic.
The jet, destined for Charlotte, North Carolina, had
just taken off from Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport on
Wednesday, June 25, when fire started coming out of one of the engines.
Pilots onboard the plane, which was carrying 153 passengers
and six crew, had to quickly divert course back to the airport after passengers
spotted the flames.
Footage has since emerged on social media showing the jet
with a trail of black smoke following it. Fire can be seen spurting out of the
side of the engine.
Shortly after, the aircraft was returned to the airport,
where an inspection was carried out.
Nobody onboard was injured, officials said.
Construction worker Richard Pedrosa told The Las Vegas
Review-Journal that he had heard a loud bang before spotting the plane
overheard with its engine on fire.
He said: "I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s going to
explode', I was kind of scared because that’s the first time I’ve ever seen
that, and I was hoping and praying that everybody was OK on the
airplane."
American Airlines said that maintenance teams found no
evidence that the engine caught fire after inspecting the aircraft.
In a statement, the carrier said: "American Airlines
flight 1665 returned to Las Vegas (LAS) shortly after takeoff due to a
mechanical issue.
"The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power
and customers deplaned normally.
"We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and
thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as
quickly as possible."
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would
investigate the incident.
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