VIDEO: Engine fire forces LA-bound plane to divert back to Mexico
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles-bound plane from Mexico had to be diverted back this week after sparks flew from one of the plane’s engines.
Kimberly Garcia was on Viva Aerobus flight VB518 from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Los Angeles on Tuesday. She told Storyful that she heard a loud explosion about 10 minutes into the flight and that passengers started to panic.
"We had to ring the emergency button about six times before we got the attention of the flight crew, because they had yet to communicate anything on the speaker to us," Garcia told Storyful.
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In a statement to FOX 11, Viva Aerobus said that the engine failure happened minutes after the flight took off at 10:03 p.m., local time, and that a fault in the engine caused sparks to come out "due to metal friction," but that the pilots never lost control of the plane.
The airline also told FOX 11 that "the crew provided timely and professional attention to passengers who required it."
The plane was diverted back to Guadalajara International Airport and touched back down at 10:45 p.m. and no one was hurt in the incident, the airline said. Passengers were put on another flight Wednesday morning, landing safely at Los Angeles International Airport shortly after 7:30 a.m. Los Angeles time.
"We deeply regret the inconveniences that this circumstance may have caused, which will be analyzed and evaluated by the airline and the competent authorities," the airline said.