LAS VEGAS- Federal authorities are currently probing a reported engine fire incident that prompted a Southwest Airlines (WN) aircraft to abort takeoff and return to the gate at Lubbock, Texas, airport on Thursday.
Southwest disclosed on Friday that the pilots were alerted to a potential engine problem, prompting the Boeing 737 to taxi back to the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport terminal.
Southwest Engine Fire
The Lubbock fire department stated online that it verified the presence of a fire in one of the two engines, which required extinguishing.
Further, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it is conducting an investigation into the incident.
The flight, which had 154 passengers and a crew of six onboard, was bound for Las Vegas, according to Southwest. The airline arranged for a replacement aircraft to be flown in from Dallas to continue the journey later on Thursday evening.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-800, which is an older model compared to the 737 Max. Its engines are manufactured by CFM International, a partnership between General Electric and France’s Safran SA.
Donnie Rundell, a passenger aboard the flight, informed KLBK-TV that the pilots were accompanied back to the terminal by a fire truck and commended the crew for their handling of the situation, stating, “They did the best they could and took care of us.”
“We were accelerating for takeoff, and I thought we had a blown tire on the plane. It was quite loud. However, as I mentioned, the pilots applied the brakes, and everything came to a halt, and everything was fine,” Rundell recounted.
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