Shortly after an Alaska Airlines plane from Seattle to San Diego took off, a piece of the cowling -- a removable metal casing for the engine -- ripped off, exposing the interiors. The plane then made a U-turn and headed back to Seattle.
A video posted on Twitter shows the incident as seen through the plane's window. "We survived," says a sticker caption that is attached to the clip.
Plane Was Diverted Back to Seattle
The plane was diverted back to Seattle soon after the take-off on Monday morning.
A representative for Alaska Airlines told CNN Travel that Flight 558 "reported an unusual vibration on the left side of the aircraft soon after departure and the aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely."
The flight took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7:36 a.m. local time and was back at the airport by 8:04 am, according to the official.
Passengers Felt Vibration On The Plane
Greg Anderson, who was onboard Flight 558, filmed the incident showing the major damage to the plane's engine. Anderson revealed that at the time of takeoff no fault was felt on the plane but soon he realized he heard a little pop and vibration on the plane.
"We slowed way down then the captain came on and said he felt an 'unusual vibration,' and we were told he was looking for a place to land," Anderson told CNN.
Six crew members and 176 passengers were on board at the time, according to an Alaska Airlines statement, but no injuries were recorded. The airline claimed in an email that passengers were transferred to a different aircraft to San Diego, which took off around 2.5 hours after they returned to the gate.
Alaska Airlines has commended the onboard crew for the plane's safe landing. The two pilots that flew the flight, according to the airline, had more than 32 years of combined flying experience.
According to Alaska Airlines, "They handled the event with remarkable professionalism and care, together with our flight attendants."
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