Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight had the scare of their lives after their Boeing 737 MAX reported a fire on one of the wing engines, resulting in an emergency landing back to Cuba.

The Southwest flight departed from José Martí International Airport in Havana Sunday morning, heading towards Fort Lauderdale, FL. The aircraft immediately turned back around after a bird struck the aircraft, causing smoke to fill the plane.

A video from inside the plane was captured as passengers desperately looked to cover their faces with the overhead oxygen masks.

Tweet shared from captured video inside the plane:

As passengers are heard yelling in panic, a man tries to identify all of the children on board and parents frantically explain to their kids they need to wear the masks for their safety.

According to a statement released by Southwest Airlines:

“We realize this occurrence was unusual and may have been unsettling… Southwest is working with the local officials with regard to this event and remains steadfastly focused on the safety of our customers and crews.”

Corporación de la Aviación Cubana stated, “At 12:05 p.m. today at the José Martí International Airport in Havana, the Boeing 737 aircraft of the Southwest airline (SWA 3923) bound for Fort Lauderdale, during the takeoff process, detected failures in one of its engines – following the established procedure, its landing at the Havana Airport was authorized. The passengers were evacuated and are in good condition. The causes of the incident are being investigated.”

 

 

Add comment