Terrifying videos show American Airlines Boeing 737 shoot flames into sky after it struck birds on taking off from Columbus airport – with wing slats filmed burning by frightened passenger after jet made emergency landing
- American Airlines flight 1958 took off from John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Sunday but was struck by a bird
- It caused flames to shoot from the engine and create ‘wonky, pulsing noises’
- The plane landed safely back at the airport just 40 minutes later
Video posted online showed the terrifying moment a Boeing 737 shooting flames into the sky before it returned to an Ohio airport just 40 minutes after it took off.
The American Airlines flight 1958 to Phoenix, Arizona took off from John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 7:43am, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights nationally, but re-landed at the airport at 8:22am.
As it landed, one frightened passenger posted a video to TikTok showing flames and smoke coming from the wing slats as those on board started to curse.
Witnesses on the scene said it was struck by a flock of geese as it took off, causing flames to shoot from the engine and create ‘wonky, pulsing noises.’
One person in Columbus, Ohio even said it sounded ‘as if the engines were about to give up.’ Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The plane has been identified as a Boeing 737-800, but is not a 737 Max, which has killed over 340 people around the world.
American Airlines flight 1958 returned to a Columbus, Ohio airport less than 20 minutes after it took off after a bird struck its engine, causing it to burn
Emergency crews rushed to the runway after the plane re-landed at the airport safely
The flight to Phoenix, Arizona was struck by a bird as it took off from Columbus, Ohio
The flight was set to land at Phoenix, Arizona but had to make the quick U-turn shortly after it took off.
Videos and photos posted online show flames coming out of its engine, and the plane making a low rumbling noise as it passed through Ohio.
By the time it landed, the TikTok video shows, passengers on board started wondering what they were could do.
Eventually, a crewmember could be heard coming over the loudspeaker saying, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, just be calm. Obviously something happened, the pilots will get on it, let us know what’s going on.’
He urged the passengers not to ‘freak out,’ and to remain calm as they awaited more information.
An unnamed passenger onboard the doomed flight has since told WBNS that the pilot said geese got into the engine, causing the fire.
All of the passengers were taken to another plane, which was scheduled to take back off to Phoenix at around 10am.
The Federal Aviation Administration is leading an investigation into the fire.
In the meantime, the airport says the aircraft is ‘open and operational.’
A passenger onboard the doomed flight caught smoke coming out of one of its wings
Witnesses shared online that they heard ‘wonky, pulsing noises’ from the aircraft and the engine sounded like it was ‘about to give up’