American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Fire
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DFW AIRPORT (CBSDFW.COM) - An American Airlines flight takes off from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport but the pilot has to immediately make an emergency landing.
The approach of that plane for landing had some North Texans on the ground very concerned. People across North Texas were calling 911 to report a plane in crisis when they saw flames in the sky.
There were 130 passengers and six crew members onboard American Airlines Flight 438. The airbus has just taken off took off around 10:50 Wednesday night, bound for Seattle, when there was a loud bang. The pilots turned the plane around and returned to DFW about 20 minutes later.
It may have appeared to be a plane on fire but officials with the airline explained that a compressor on the plane failed. The stall meant fuel leaked from the back of the engine and caused a trail of flames. Officials said the engine was always fully operational, never failed and never caught fire. A passenger onboard posted this video on Google Plus.
It was a frightening sight for Bailey Patterson who lives in Arlington. "I was out in the backyard taking my dogs out to go outside and I just started hearing a weird noise. I happened to look up and I just saw a plane flying above me on fire," he said.
No one onboard the flight or on the ground was injured during the emergency landing.
Alison Kemp was at the airport to see her Marine boyfriend off to Japan. He was on flight 438, sitting right above the wing. "My heart just dropped when he texted me that something serious happened," Kemp recalled. "I was scared for his little sisters, 'cause when he's gone I promised him I would look out for his sisters and his mom and his dad. You know… just thank God he's here."
Kemp's boyfriend and everyone onboard the plane was rebooked on other flights. While there was room for the majority of the passengers on two morning flights, AA added a special flight to Seattle to make sure all of the inconvenienced travelers got to their destinations as quicly as possible.
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