An American Airlines flight returned safely to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport shortly after takeoff due to a “mechanical issue” on Wednesday morning, the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration described it as an “engine issue.” While American Airlines said there was “no evidence of fire in the engine,” videos obtained by ABC News showed short bursts of flames shooting out of an engine.
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Matthew Villasista was at the Las Vegas National Golf Club when he saw what appeared to be smoke coming from the plane.
“We could hear lots of booming noises, almost like a boombox. It sort of stopped us in our tracks to hear the noises,” he told ABC News.
Mark Jackson was in a parking lot when he said he heard what sounded like “large fireworks.”
“When we looked up and saw what was really happening, I was shocked and super sad thinking about how scared everyone on board must be,” Jackson told ABC News. “Those brave pilots working under some heavy pressure. It just looked like it was dropping rapidly.”
American Airlines Flight 1665 — an Airbus A321 — was heading to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, the FAA said. Passengers deplaned normally in Las Vegas, American said.
The plane “is being taken out of service to be evaluated by our maintenance team,” American said.
“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 airline added.
The FAA said it’s investigating.
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