A United Airlines engine spits flame seconds after takeoff, forcing emergency landing

On Monday, a Florida-bound United Airlines Boeing aircraft was forced to do an emergency landing in Texas shortly after takeoff when its jet engine erupted in flames.

The mishap was captured on lens, showcasing vivid orange sparks emanating from beneath the aircraft’s left wing, alarmingly close to the passenger windows.

The video, which quickly went viral, shows the flames so intense that they appeared almost white against the dark backdrop of the night sky. Amidst the chaos, a crewmember’s voice could be heard over the intercom, “Hey ladies and gentlemen, we realized something happened outside,” and the footage abruptly ended.

The Fort Myers, Florida-bound United Airlines Flight 1118, which had departed from George H. Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport, was forced to make an immediate return at approximately 7 p.m., mere minutes into its journey. The flight had been airborne for “approximately 15 minutes” of the planned two-hour trip when the engine issue arose, according to passenger Dorian D. Cerda (who shared the spine-chilling video.)

No injuries were reported in the mishap yet.

In a statement to Storyful, United Airlines confirmed that “flight 1118 returned to Houston shortly after takeoff due to an engine issue. The flight landed safely and the passengers deplaned normally.” The airline also ensured that alternative arrangements were made, stating, “we arranged for a new aircraft to take our customers to their destination.”