SouthWest Airlines passengers terrified as flames shoot from underneath aeroplane

Terrified passengers watched as flames came out of the engine of an aeroplane that had just taken off.

Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines plane departing from Houston's Hobby Airport to Cancun saw flames coming from one of the aircraft engines shortly after takeoff in the evening of Tuesday, August 15.

The incident prompted the flight, Southwest Flight #307, to return to Hobby Airport for inspection due to a potential mechanical issue. Thankfully, the plane landed safely, and passengers were transferred to a different aircraft for the continuation of the journey.

Coale Kalisek, a passenger on the flight, captured video footage of the flames and described feeling unusual movement on the plane before witnessing fireballs coming from the engine.

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Coale told KHOU11: "All I know is it started swinging like left to right, and I thought, I've been on a lot of flights. I think I fly once or twice a month and I knew that wasn't normal.

"So I opened up my window and I'm sitting next to the engine and I see fireballs coming out of it. I'm thinking damn, it's gonna go down."

Although the flight made a safe return, Coale and his girlfriend opted not to continue to Cancun due to fear.

Southwest Airlines confirmed the mechanical issue but did not provide further details about the fire incident.

A statement from the airline read: "Southwest Flight #307 from Houston Hobby (HOU) to Cancun (CUN) returned to the airport to check out a potential mechanical issue.

"The aircraft landed safely and was taken out of service. A different aircraft is being brought in to continue the flight to Cancun. We appreciate our Customers’ patience as we work to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible."

It comes as news of another bizarre incident has emerged, regarding a cat that fell off a plane. Breezy, a Bengal show cat, was found and reunited with her owner, Ginger Thompson, after going missing at Denver International Airport.

Breezy had escaped her carrier while boarding a plane to return home to Spokane, Washington. Ginger spent 24 anxious hours fearing for Breezy's safety.

A search effort involving airport staff and the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was launched, eventually locating Breezy in a storage room. Ginger expressed gratitude to the Southwest Airline crew for their efforts.

Breezy was found safe and unharmed, and Ginger shared her relief on social media. The cat had been at a cat show in Denver where it won several awards. Ginger expressed her deep bond with her cats, including Breezy.