Odor on Plane Prompts Emergency Landing 15 Minutes After Takeoff, Passenger Recalls Thinking ‘We’re Going to Die’
Odor on Plane Prompts Emergency Landing 15 Minutes After Takeoff, Passenger Recalls Thinking ‘We’re Going to Die’
Desiree AnelloSun, October 18, 2026 at 4:05 PM UTC
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Plane on the tarmac at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (stock image)Credit: DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty -
An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing after an “odor” was detected in the aircraft on Saturday, Oct. 17
Illinois couple, Tessa and Mark Springer, recalled hearing a loud grinding sound before everyone lunged forward
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get on another airplane ever again,” Mark said
American Airlines passengers are recounting the strange occurrence that led to their flight making an emergency landing moments after departing from Missouri.
Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff from the St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Saturday, Oct. 17, an odor on an American Airlines plane prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing, First Alert 4, FOX 2 and NBC affiliate KSDK reported.
An airport spokesperson told FOX 2 that the pilot contacted the airport’s control tower around 8:43 a.m. local time, after which the plane landed safely and passengers were evacuated from the aircraft. No injuries were reported after the incident.
American Airlines plane (stock image)Credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty
Tessa and Mark Springer, who were on the flight from St. Louis to Pennsylvania, recalled the terrifying moment they heard a “really terrible noise coming from the back of the plane.”
“It was like … real loud buzzing, kind of grinding sound,” Mark told First Alert 4. “The pilot comes back on and says ‘Uh, there’s a problem with the engine on the airplane. We can’t get it started.’ ”
Following a delay that lasted around two hours, the couple told the outlet that the plane finally took off.
“All of a sudden, the plane just felt like it hit a, like, like in a car, when you hit slam on your brakes, it was just like a, and everybody kind of lunges forward like this,” Mark recalled. “And then, maybe a minute later, the plane just kind of goes boom and drops.....all of the oxygen masks fall. And we just kind of looked at each other like, ‘Is this serious? Is this real?’ ”
As the plane filled with smoke, Tessa was texting her children and recalled hearing the flight attendants shout safety instructions.
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“I was like, we’re going to die,” she told the outlet.
Thankfully, the plane safely touched down a few minutes later and the Illinois couple evacuated the aircraft by jumping from the wing.
“I just kept closing my eyes and seeing my kids and thinking about them losing both of us at the same time,” Tessa said, after which Mark added, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get on another airplane ever again.”
Another passenger, Olivia Clancy, described the flight as “totally unnerving” as she sat alongside her two young children who were flying for the first time.
“You could tell right away after we took off that the plane was having problems with its thrust, I guess,” she told KSDK. “I looked at my husband and said, ‘This is not normal.’ Then, out came the airbags.”
American Airlines later addressed the incident in a statement.
“American Eagle flight 5089, operated by PSA Airlines, returned to St. Louis Lambert International Airport shortly after takeoff after a reported odor,” the statement read, per FOX 2 and KSDK. “The aircraft landed safely at STL and was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We apologize to our customers for their experience and thank our team members for their professionalism.”
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
