An American Airlines flight from St. Louis to Pennsylvania made an emergency landing about fifteen minutes after takeoff on Saturday, and a couple from Waterloo, Illinois is telling the story of what happened inside that cabin. Mark and Tessa Springer boarded the flight after the pilot announced an engine problem before departure, and the plane left roughly two hours late. Once airborne, they say the aircraft braked hard, dropped, and filled with haze as oxygen masks fell, a moment Tessa described as feeling like the plane hit something.
Fearing the worst, Tessa texted their children goodbye and kept picturing them losing both parents at once. The flight returned to Lambert safely, and passengers evacuated by jumping from the wing onto the runway before buses carried them to the terminal. American Airlines says the plane returned after an odor was reported and was removed from service for inspection. The Springers say the experience has convinced them to stop flying.
For those of us on the Suncoast who travel through SRQ or Tampa for family visits and work trips, stories like this hit close to home. Air travel remains one of the safest ways to get where you’re going, but the human side of this one is hard to shake. Have you ever had a flight scare? Tell us about it in the comments.
