by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:01 PM ET, Tue December 5, 2017
Passengers aboard a plane taking off from Cuba last week are considering themselves lucky to be alive after one of the aircraft's engines exploded just as it was about to take off.
According to the Sun, Thomas Cook Airlines Flight MT2653 from Frank Pais Airport in Holguin, Cuba was on its way to Manchester, England, when one of the engines exploded just as the plane was about to lift off.
Passengers who witnessed the incident said the plane began speeding down the runway for takeoff. As the aircraft's front wheel lifted off the runway, the engine made a loud noise and began shooting fire and sparks toward the back of the plane.
"If it had happened any later there would have been an explosion, we would have all been killed," 64-year-old passenger Joseph Farnhill told The Metro.
As a result of the explosion, the pilot dropped the nose of the plane back to the tarmac and aborted the departure, slamming on the brakes as the aircraft skidded across the runway, according to The Independent.
In addition to the passengers fearing for their lives, witnesses claim the flight crew was also shaken up by the incident. One of the passengers, Gareth Swan, told The Independent how one of the attendants acted following the explosion.
"As he came back on, you could hear that he was verbally shaken to the point where his voice cracked and he sounded like he was going to burst into tears," Swan said. "At that point, I realized it was very serious."
Once the plane safely came to a stop at the Cuban airport, passengers were reportedly stuck inside for around four hours in the Caribbean heat. In total, there were 310 passengers and 12 crew members aboard the aircraft.
A Thomas Cook Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident and said, "Our customers' safety is always our first priority, and we are very sorry for the delay and inconvenience caused." In accordance with European Union law, all passengers on the flight will receive more than $700 in compensation.
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