An American Airlines plane appeared to spew fire from an engine and leave a trail of smoke while in flight and making an emergency landing.
Flight 1665 had smoke coming out of its left engine shortly after takeoff, a spokesperson for Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas told CBS News.
Videos shared on social media showed sparks flying from the aircraft.
The plane landed safely back at the airport after experiencing a ‘mechanical issue’, according to American Airlines.
The airline claimed that there was ‘no evidence of fire in the engine’, but videos showed flames bursting from an engine on its right side.
‘The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and customers deplaned normally,’ stated the airline.
‘We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as quickly as possible.’
The plane had departed for Charlotte, North Carolina, around 8.11am, according to Flightradar24.
Several witnesses on the ground saw and heard the terrifying incident.
Mark Jackson said he was in a parking lot when he heard ‘large fireworks’ noises and saw a plane ‘dropping rapidly’.
‘When we looked up and saw what was really happening,’ he told ABC News.
‘I was shocked and super sad thinking about how scared everyone on board must be.’
Matthew Villasista, who was at the Las Vegas National Golf Club, said smoke seemed to be streaming from the aircraft.
‘We could hear lots of booming noises, almost like a boombox,’ he said.
‘It sort of stopped us in our tracks to hear the noises.’
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