Virgin Airbus Emergency Landing in Grand Junction

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Contact photographer Dan Miclea

What: Virgin America Airbus en route from San Francisco to New York City
Where: Grand Junction Colorado
When: September 8, 2011, 2:00 a.m.
Who: 111 passengers and 6 crew
Why: While en route, the Virgin America flight experienced problems, described by one passenger as “the engine quit” and by another as “a giant flame from the engine.” While en route, passengers were awakened by a loud noise, and according to one passenger, flight attendants rushed to the cockpit.

Pilots shut the engine down and continued the flight. Individuals with military experience were asked to assist in case of emergency.

(We don’t usually get this much detail, but it is clear that the passengers were terrified. Pilots always say these huge jets with multiple engines are built to fly without one, in case of emergency; but personally I can relate more to the anxiety of the passengers than the confidence of pilots in their machines. Though one has to admit, knowing a pilot confident in his plane is flying is more comforting to a passenger than a pilot who is hysterical.)

Pilots explained the situation to the passengers. Forty minutes later landed safely in Grand Junction.

Passengers were provided hotel accommodation, $150 for another flight, and another flight was provided within ten hours. The incident is under investigation.