The engine of a Southwest Airlines flight out of Houston was shown in flames near William P. Hobby Airport Tuesday evening, but it landed back in Houston safely.
According to KHOU 11, a video sent in from a viewer shows a Southwest plane in flames while in the air around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. The Dallas-based airline confirmed it was Southwest Flight 307 from Houston to Cancun that experienced a “mechanical issue” shortly after takeoff.
“The aircraft landed safely and was taken out of service for review,” said Laura Swift, spokeswoman for Southwest. “A different aircraft continued the flight to Cancun last evening, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and support.”
Viewers sent videos to our newsroom of flames coming from a plane near Hobby on Tuesday. The airline company said Southwest Flight #307 from Houston to Cancun returned to the airport "to check out a potential mechanical issue." #khou11
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 16, 2023
MORE: https://t.co/y8MnbQ00ox pic.twitter.com/WDYoGuzMhe
According to flight data tracker Flight Aware, the aircraft was in the air for 27 minutes.
In July, Southwest said it was looking to open six new gates at Hobby Airport in Houston, as the airport plans a $450 million expansion beginning as early as next year. The airport is working to expand its west concourse with seven new gates, including six for Southwest. The seventh will be for common use and controlled by the airport.
On Aug. 11, Southwest had a runway incident when a Cessna 560X that was cleared to land on a runway nearly hit a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 that was in line on the same runway. The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the incident, but no one was injured and there was no damage, according to Bloomberg.
