Seeing the plane’s engine ablaze as you helplessly sit in your seat thousands of meters in the air is surely every passengers’ worst nightmare. That terrifying scene was captured in its stunning glory on a recent flight in Panama.
Passenger Cesar Luciano filmed the shocking footage on a Copa Airlines flight on January 31 when one of the aircraft’s engines combusted following a bird strike.
The plane was bound for Guatemala City before the accident happened, shortly after take off from Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
Luciano uploaded the video to his Instagram account along with a message in which he described what he was feeling as he saw the flames flash right outside his window.
“Never before have so many thoughts passed to me in such a short time. I thought that these things only happened in movies,” he wrote.
“I do not want to tell you all the things that flowed through my mind during the event, but if there is something that was clear this was not my time.”
To the immense relief of everyone on board, the pilot managed to successfully return the plane to Tocumen airport after the incident, Panama’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed.
Copa Airlines said in a statement that the pilot followed all the safety protocols after a bird flew into one of the engines and was able to land in a satisfactory manner, TVN reports.
The company said that the passengers were “never at risk” because the pilots "have the ability to handle such situations.”
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