A Southwest plane leaving Hollywood was forced to divert and land in nearby Los Angeles Thursday morning after suffering engine failure, an airline spokesperson told The Independent.
The Boeing 737 jet departed from Hollywood Burbank Airport and was bound for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to The Independent.
But it then had to divert “safely” to Los Angeles International Airport “after experiencing an apparent engine failure” the Southwest spokesperson said.
The flight landed in Los Angeles at around 8:15 a.m. local time, according to the FAA.
“Following the uneventful landing, the aircraft taxied to a gate at LAX, where we accommodated our Customers on the next flight to Phoenix,” the airline spokesperson said.
“We appreciate the professionalism of our Pilots and Flight Attendants in safely handling the situation,” the spokesperson continued. “Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
The FAA said it will investigate the incident.
A United Airlines flight headed to Munich suffered an engine failure in July, causing the crew to turn around and return to Dulles International Airport in the Washington, D.C. area.
The pilot said the Boeing 787-8’s left engine had failed and they were “declaring an emergency, mayday, mayday, mayday,” according to cockpit and air traffic control audio shared on the YouTube channel “You can see ATC.”
The plane, which was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members, “returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue,” United previously told The Independent.
“The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate,” the airline continued. “The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.”
