This is the terrifying moment when passengers captured the engine of an American Airlines Boeing 737 that burst into flames in midair before the pilot crash-landed safely at the Ohio airport 40 minutes after takeoff.
Passengers Marni Kallestad and Ryan Brink had the presence of mind to capture the incident, as flames shot out of the engine despite the horrific conditions.
The 1958 American Airlines flight to Phoenix, Arizona took off from John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 7:43 a.m., according to FlightAware, a website that tracks national flights, but landed back at the airport at 8:22 a.m.
Witnesses at the scene said it was hit by a flock of geese as it lifted off, sending flames shooting out of the engine and causing “frantic, pulsing noises.”
John Glenn International Airport posted on Twitter: ‘Emergency services responded to an aircraft incident at CMH this morning with a reported engine fire.
In a separate incident last Thursday, an American Airlines Airbus A321 caught fire on its right wing as it prepared to take off from Charlotte-Douglas Airport in North Carolina. The plane returned to the gate and there were no injuries
American Airlines Flight 1958 returned to a Columbus, Ohio airport less than 20 minutes after it took off after a bird hit the engine, causing it to catch fire
Emergency services rushed to the runway after the plane landed safely at the airport
“The plane landed safely and the airport is open and operational
“The plane experienced mechanical problems, not an engine fire.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the incident.
American Airlines said in a statement: “The flight landed normally and safely taxied to the gate under its own power.
“The aircraft has been taken out of service for maintenance and our team is working to get customers back on the road to Phoenix.”
One person in Columbus, Ohio even said it sounded “like the engines were about to give out.” Fortunately, the plane landed safely and there were no injuries.
The plane has been identified as a Boeing 737-800, but is not a 737 Max, which killed more than 340 people around the world after two horrific and highly publicized crashes caused by an onboard computer system.
The flight to Phoenix, Arizona was struck by a bird as it took off from Columbus, Ohio
The flight was scheduled to land in Phoenix, Arizona, but had to make the high-speed U-turn shortly after takeoff.
Videos and photos posted online show flames coming from the engine and the plane making a low rumbling sound as it flies through Ohio.
An unnamed passenger aboard the doomed flight has since told the tale WBNS that the pilot said geese got into the engine and started the fire.
Witnesses shared online that they heard “crazy, pulsating noises” coming from the plane and that the engine sounded like it was “about to give up.”
All passengers were taken to another plane, which was scheduled to depart back to Phoenix around 10 a.m.
The airport says it is “open and operational” as emergency services remain on site.
The incident came three days after another engine fire aboard an Airbus A321 aircraft about to take off from North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas Airport.
Disturbing video shows flames shooting from the right wing, which were visible from the plane’s slats.
Concerned passengers could be heard screaming, while a flight attendant came over the intercom to tell them to keep calm and resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The plane, which was supposed to fly to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, returned to the gate without taking off and the flames were extinguished.
All passengers were taken off and no one was injured, Simple flying reported. The incident is being treated as a mechanical failure and no further details about the cause have been shared.