- An American Airlines flight bound for Cancun, Mexico headed back to JFK
- Sources say the someone on board had said they saw a wing was on fire
- American Airlines has officially said the Boeing 738 turned back due to a ‘possible mechanical issue’
A commercial plane bound for Mexico from New York City turned around for an emergency landing after someone on board said they saw a wing was on fire, reports are saying.
An American Airlines flight left John F Kennedy International Airport around 1pm bound for the tropical resort city of Cancun, NBC New York reports.
The crew quickly turned the Boeing 738 back around after reports of the fire and it landed once again around 1.20pm, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The Port Authority tweeted out a photo of the American Airlines Boeing 738 that safely landed at its point of origin, John F Kennedy International Airport after turning back 20 minutes after takeoff
Pictured is the plane’s flight path. American Airlines said the plane turned back due to a ‘possible mechanical issue’ but other reports say the plane turned back after someone on board said they thought they saw a wing on fire
American Airlines has officially said that the plane needed to land due to a ‘possible mechanical issue’.
Sources told NBC that there was no evidence of a fire.
The union that represents Port Authority police officers posted a picture of the plane sitting on the snow-blown tarmac.
A Port Authority spokeswoman says the plane taxied back to the gate under its own power.
No one was hurt, ABC7 reports.
The Port Authority tweeted: ‘Port Authority Police Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit responded to JFK Runway 31L, an American Airlines 737 returned immediately after departure because of a report of an engine fire. Aircraft landed without incident, no evidence of fire.’
The landing comes after the Airbus A380 – the world’s largest passenger jet – was en route to land at the John F Kennedy International Airport when it was diverted to Stewart Airport in Orange County on Thursday due to winds and whiteout conditions.