ATLANTA, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Atlanta returned to Dallas after an engine exploded and smoke filled the cabin, officials and passengers say.
The malfunction occurred immediately after takeoff Tuesday afternoon from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, WGCL-TV, Atlanta, reported Wednesday.
"We heard kind of a thud noise, and then the plane started shaking quite a bit, but not real violently, and then probably three or four minutes later, this huge explosion," said Fred Edwards, a passenger aboard Flight 165.
"Shortly after the big explosion went off and lit up the side of the airplane, it [smoke] just poured in all the vents," he added. "Before you know it, you couldn't see, and that's when everyone got scared."
In a statement, Spirit company officials said one engine "was shut down, the plane landed safely at DFW and the passengers were put on another aircraft. Following procedure and as a safety precaution, the plane returned to DFW. It was a normal landing and customers safely deplaned."
Passengers were put on another flight that left Dallas at 6:05 p.m. It arrived in Atlanta at 9:11 p.m., almost five hours after its scheduled arrival time.
