Dozens of passengers of a Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Florida have suffered probably the most chilling 15 minutes of their lives, after an engine on their jet was partially torn apart, forcing an emergency landing.
A section of the jet engine cowling was torn apart after it came loose during Frontier Flight 260’s takeoff in Nevada Friday morning, prompting shocked passengers to “jump up screaming.” Footage of the incident, taken by several people on board the Airbus 320, shows a shredded engine cover hanging on by the last threads to the rest of the unit.
#VIDEO: Frontier Airlines plane headed from Las Vegas to Tampa forced to turn around after engine cover came loose – video shot by Jazmin Pedraza from North Las Vegas, who was heading on vacation before starting Navy boot camp- she says passengers started calling loved ones @KTNVpic.twitter.com/icf7GrnZNT
— Tom George (@TheTomGeorge) November 30, 2018
WHOA! My aunt snapped this pic of a shredded engine on Frontier flight 260 from Vegas to Tampa. The plane was able to turn around and land. She says all passengers got a free breakfast voucher. pic.twitter.com/vc4t4uxMmh
— Dan Ponce (@DanPonceTV) November 30, 2018
So, my hockey buddy CJ Gunnerson took this pic out his window today.
His @FlyFrontier flight had to make an emergency landing at Vegas.
"The hatch came up and ripped off during take off," he tells me.
People were "jumping up screaming, slamming on the roof. Yelling stop."@ABC10pic.twitter.com/d2LEpdD6p6— Brandon Rittiman (@BrandonRittiman) November 30, 2018
The flight crew immediately requested a return to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and were allowed to do so at 7:27 am, some 15 minutes after takeoff. Despite the scare, all 166 passengers and six crew members made it back safe. “The engine continued to operate normally and the aircraft, an Airbus 320, landed safely,” the airline reassured its customers.
Frontier Airlines: "During takeoff on Frontier flight 260 from Las Vegas to Tampa today, a section of an engine cover came loose and separated from the aircraft. Pilots immediately returned to airport. The engine continued to operate normally and the Airbus 320, landed safely." pic.twitter.com/BIsG2ZGIc1
— Spectrum Bay News 9 (@BN9) November 30, 2018
Passenger Jazmin Pedraza says they knew something was wrong on Frontier flight from Vegas to Tampa before takeoff when a smell was coming through the vents, then they had a rocky takeoff – once they looked out window they yelled for help from flight attendants @KTNVpic.twitter.com/GMAHyc6otT
— Tom George (@TheTomGeorge) November 30, 2018
To save face and somehow compensate travelers for their chilling experience, the company offered them a full refund and a $ 500 voucher for a future Frontier flight. The airline also transferred passengers onto other airlines so they could get to Florida within a reasonable amount of time. The incident is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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