Photo via Twitter/Aviationizer
Mechanical issues forced an Allegiant Air flight to abort a trip to Fresno, California just after takeoff from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. And while witnesses heard "booms" and saw flames, officials determined that danger levels were actually quite low after examining what went wrong.
Flight 514, a Boeing 757, took off at around 4:05 p.m., and landing without incident just before 4:20 p.m. after the pilot said there was a fire in one of the jet's two engines, airport spokesman Chris Jones told the Review-Journal. Providing clarification, Jones said this didn't mean the engine caught fire, and said the airline believes a stalled compressor in the left engine is the culprit for the incident.
"The engine was not shut down and remained operational and the engine fire suppression system was not required," an Allegiant Air spokesperson said to the Review-Journal via email.
Las Vegas resident Fernanda Corral told the Review-Journal that she and her family were eating in the patio of a restaurant about 2 miles north of the airport around 4 p.m. when eatery patrons heard loud fireworks-like "booms" and witnessed flames coming from an airliner. Corral said no smoke was in evidence.
Despite this account, the Allegiant spokesperson stated to the Review-Journal, "We can't speak to what some people may have witnessed, but can confirm that there was no fire in the engine."
Clark County Fire Department officials who inspected the plane found no evidence of fire or smoke.
The airline verified to the Review-Journal that there were no injuries to the 153 passengers and seven crew and said, "The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority."
A replacement airliner was slated for departure Saturday evening and passengers could either change their flight to a later time or receive a refund, Allegiant said.
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