A United Airlines flight experienced a dramatic-looking engine failure just after takeoff from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon February 20, 2021.
Flight UA328, originally headed to Honolulu, but quickly circled back to the airport and made a safe landing after the pilots calmly made a “mayday” call to air traffic control.
There were no injuries among the 231 passengers and 10 airline staff on board, according to the FAA.
Since it’s 2021, the incident was thoroughly captured with both photos and video. Passengers shared video of what looks to be a significant right engine failure, with visible damage, flames, and trailing smoke:
That isn’t what I’d want to see looking out the window seat.
Engine failures are rare, but do happen. Modern planes are designed so that they’re able to remain in the air for an extended period and safely land with only a single functioning engine.