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Startling video captured the harrowing moment a Boeing 737 engine began sparking and shooting flames into the night sky shortly after takeoff, with passengers describing it as a mid-air ‘explosion.’ The FAA has initiated an investigation after the right engine of a Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737 malfunctioned mid-air, just after departing from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday night.

The pilot had to perform an emergency landing back at LAX. Flight 430 was headed to Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport carrying 166 passengers when it encountered ‘an issue’ with one engine. The pilots declared an emergency and made a safe return to LAX.

Fire trucks and emergency personnel were ready to assist when the plane landed. ‘I was actually seated next to the engine that caught on fire. I saw just a really bright flash out the window,’ a passenger named Sarah recounted to CNN affiliate WCCO. ‘The passenger next to me and I held hands and comforted each other, preparing for the worst.’

Another passenger, Ruth Sorensen, described the chaos experienced onboard. ‘We hadn’t been in the air for even 25 minutes when it sounded like lightning struck the plane or something exploded,’ explained Ruth Sorensen to CNN. ‘We could actually hear the engine shutting down and saw flames coming out.’

In response, the airline emphasized its dedication to passenger safety. ‘Our passengers and crew are our priority, and we are grateful for the professionalism of our pilots and flight attendants to ensure customer safety.’ Additionally, this week, a Turkish Airlines flight bound for San Francisco was diverted to Chicago after a passenger reportedly passed away during the flight.

Flight TK79 departed Istanbul just before 2:30 pm local time and was airborne for nearly 12 hours before the emergency landing. The passenger began experiencing a ‘severe medical emergency’ as the plane flew over Greenland, according to Aviation A2Z. In response to the passenger’s condition, the crew prepared to land at Keflavik Airport in Iceland.

Flight attendants performed CPR on the passenger, and consulted medical personnel on the ground via radio. Despite the crew’s efforts, the passenger died in the air and the pilots reassessed an emergency landing.

Flight staff decided to land at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where medical personnel could handle the passenger’s body. Since the passenger was already pronounced dead in the air, there was less urgency to land outside of US territory.