MEXICO CITY, Mexico. – A Southwest Airlines aircraft was forced to make an emergency return to the airport in Havana at Noon today.
Neighbors from the vicinity wrote on social media that they saw the aircraft spinning in mid-air, followed by several explosions.
As confirmed by the “Amantes de la aviación cubana” group (“Lovers of Cuban Aviation” Group), the aircraft managed to take off, and minutes later the right-side motor exploded.
A member of that group who identified himself as Gerardo Mojena stated: “I live right there next to the airport in Boyeros, and I just had an experience that my legs are still trembling. A Southwest aircraft was taking off when suddenly terrifying explosions were heard and I saw it turning around at once.”
User Edmundo Dantés, Jr. published on his Facebook profile several comments from other neighbors in the Boyeros municipality who state that “the aircraft was able to land at the airport and immediately they hosed it with water to cool it down, but two explosions did happen on the right-side motor.”
An airport source confirmed to the independent medium 14YMedio that the aircraft had landed in the runway closest to Terminal 3 although initially it had departed from Terminal 2. “The firefighters and ambulances arrived, but we still don’t know the details; the whole area is cordoned off,” the source added a few hours ago.
According to the available information on social media and the testimony of witnesses, there have been no casualties. The flight was leaving Havana and should have landed in Florida.
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