On the evening of August 15, a Southwest Airlines jet departing from Houston’s Hobby Airport displayed flames shortly after take-off. Destined for Cancun, the plane promptly executed an emergency landing due to a mechanical malfunction.
Flight 307’s right engine displayed visible flames, as observed in video footage from observers below. Andrew Sandino, who was on the ground, noted substantial fireballs emerging from the right engine and the plane’s evident side-to-side motion.
The aircraft managed to touch down at Hobby Airport just 16 minutes post take-off, with passengers subsequently relocated to an alternate flight for their Cancun trip.
Southwest Airlines, in an official response, verified the mechanical problem on Flight 307 and its subsequent removal from active service for inspection.
Despite the alarming visual, Kathleen Bangs, previously a commercial airline pilot and now FlightAware spokesperson, assured that the plane’s operational capacity was likely uncompromised. She highlighted the jet’s capability to function efficiently on a single engine. Notably, Southwest Airlines has yet to experience a fatal crash in its operational tenure.
