A Delta Airlines flight operated by Boeing departing from Aruba and heading to Atlanta had to perform an emergency landing due to an engine failure during takeoff.
The pilot flew the Boeing 737-900 in circles around the Caribbean island four times before safely landing due to a 'mechanical issue.'
A spokesperson for the airline told Daily Mail that there were 168 passengers on board in addition to four flight attendants and two pilots. The passengers were forced to spend an extra night in Aruba before being flown out on Wednesday.
'Delta flight DL581 from Aruba to Atlanta experienced a mechanical issue shortly after takeoff. It landed safely and returned to the gate uneventfully,' said the spokesperson.
'Delta teams are working to get our customers to their final destinations as quickly and safely as possible, and we apologize for the delay in their travels,' added the spokesperson.
One passenger described the incident on Reddit, 'one of the engines blew up mid takeoff, we circled Aruba four times and emergency landed.'
Another passenger said that they heard a 'loud boom' shortly into the flight.
'It sounded like it happened right after the landing gear went up. I thought at first one side of the gear got stuck and went up late.'
The captain informed passengers over the speaker system that the left engine was experiencing a fire but assured them it was being managed.
After conducting essential checks, the pilot determined it was best to return to Aruba.
'The passengers were all pretty calm about it. We deboarded the plane and was told a large bird had flown into the engine,' another commenter said.
The incident is just the latest example of several issues Boeing has faced this year.
On Tuesday, the head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration told Boeing it must improve its safety culture and address quality issues before the agency will allow the plane maker to boost 737 MAX production.
In late January, the FAA took an unprecedented step when it forbade Boeing from expanding 737 MAX production in the wake of a mid-air emergency on an Alaska Airlines jet earlier in the month.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal probe into the January mid-air 737 MAX 9 cabin panel blowout.
