Passengers on board a Spirit Airlines flight from Jamaica to Florida were told to prepare for an emergency landing on water in the latest terror in the skies.
Flight NK270 had to return to Montego Bay shortly after takeoff on Sunday due to a ‘suspected mechanical problem’.
Video from the cabin shows some of the more than 200 passengers wearing life jackets amid the chaos.
But the Airbus A321 landed safely back at Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport and guests were able to disembark normally, according to CBS News.
Spirit added that “the mechanical issue had no impact on flight safety” and that the emergency landing instructions were given “out of an abundance of caution.”
Flight NK270 had to return to its original destination, Montego Bay, shortly after takeoff on Saturday due to a ‘suspected mechanical problem’
Spirit added that the “mechanical issue had no impact on flight safety” and that the emergency landing instructions were given “out of an abundance of caution.”
Passenger Bettina Rogers captured the pilot’s announcement on a video recorded on her phone.
She said the pilot initially said there was “nothing to be concerned about,” but five minutes later announced the plane was returning to Jamaica.
Passengers were given a $50 credit and allowed on a new flight to Fort Lauderdale, arriving just 45 minutes later than scheduled.
Andrene Gordon spoke about the terrifying ordeal with Jamaican outlet The Gleaner, calling it a “near-death experience” that started with a “squeaking noise.”
“At first I thought, maybe it’s because it’s a new plane,” Gordon said.
TikTok user Bettina Rogers shared images from the plane’s cabin on Saturday
“We were there for about 25 minutes, but the plane never rose high…. The pilot said there was a minor problem, nothing serious, “so we’re just going to turn back and go to the airport.”
“We never knew if we would actually reach the ground because all we saw was literally water… it was total chaos,” Gordon added.
“I know the flight attendants are trained, but they’re human. They got scared, everyone got scared.”
Gordon also said the $50 credit felt like “a slap in the face.”
“After that near-death experience and emotional distress, Spirit would like to offer a US$50 credit that you can use by August this year,” Gordon told the Gleaner.
“I feel like this is a slap in the face because they put us through such a traumatic experience with an incompetent crew. That’s just so unacceptable.”
Spirit has apologized to guests ‘for any inconvenience caused’.
Passengers received a $50 credit and boarded a new flight to Fort Lauderdale, arriving just 45 minutes later than scheduled
Just a day after the Spirit scare, a United Airlines flight aborted takeoff after the plane engine caught fire while on the taxiway at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
According to the FAA, United Flight 2091 en route to Seattle with 148 passengers and five crew members on board was stopped around 2 p.m.
Video showed clouds of black smoke coming from the wing of the Airbus A320.
Ground crews and emergency responders “immediately addressed” the report and the plane was towed to the gate where the passengers departed, NBC Chicago reported.
Meanwhile, all flights remained grounded at New York’s JFK on Monday – an event attributed to persistent thunderstorms seen across much of the US, the FAA said.
The travel chaos comes as citizens in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee were all hit by a bevy of tornadoes, high winds and flooding over Memorial Day Weekend, which have killed at least 21 people so far.
According to FlightAware, at least 6,837 flights within, to or from the United States have been delayed and 516 have been cancelled.
Memorial Day weekend kicked off what is expected to be a busy summer season
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said Friday it had screened 2.95 million airline passengers, the most ever in a single day.