Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(SALT LAKE CITY) — A Southwest Airlines flight departing from Salt Lake City International Airport on Monday had to turn around and make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff due to an engine malfunction, according to an airport spokesperson.
Southwest Airlines Flight 604, bound for Los Angeles International Airport, was only in the air for a few minutes when the pilots became aware of a “performance issue” in the right-side engine and chose to turn around, according to the airline.
The entire flight lasted less than than 30 minutes.
Witnesses on the ground and on the aircraft told ABC News they saw flames coming from the area of the right engine. The airport also told ABC News that they received reports of fire out of the engine.
All 110 passengers and five crew members on board the Boeing 737 landed safely and emergency crews waiting on the tarmac did not need to take any action.
Traci Scarce and her two daughters, all of whom were in the plane, told ABC News they heard loud popping sounds before the aircraft began to shake and the lights inside the cabin began to flicker.
“There were sparks and flames coming from outside,” she said. “It sounded like there was a stalling engine.”
Scarce said the Southwest crew was able to maintain calm inside the cabin.
“It was great,” she said. “Everybody — a lot of praying, holding hands, and they got us back down on the ground.”
Southwest Airlines said all passengers were swapped into a new aircraft and will land in Los Angeles Monday afternoon.
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