(Rightallegiance.com) – A Southwest Airlines flight en route to Phoenix was forced to return to Denver after experiencing a tire failure, leading to a tense and emotional scene in the cabin.
Southwest Airlines Flight 225, a Boeing 737-700, departed Denver on Monday night, but soon after takeoff, passengers were jolted by a loud noise. The flight crew quickly informed them of the situation, leading to widespread panic.
“When the flight attendants said we were going to have an emergency landing, we started to panic a little bit,” said passenger Julianna Donadio in an interview with KDVR. “People were definitely crying and screaming and trying to console one another.”
Donadio described the frightening moments onboard as the crew prepared them for the emergency landing. “We knew we blew a tire, but we didn’t know what the landing gear situation was,” she said. “They started preparing us for crash position, so having our head between our knees, and they were informing the emergency exit line how to open the doors and operate potentially the slides.”
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines confirmed to FOX Business that the tire failure occurred during takeoff. “Following standard safety procedures, the pilots declared an emergency prior to landing. The flight landed without incident and taxied off the runway,” the spokesperson said. “A separate aircraft operated the scheduled flight to Phoenix.”
Southwest Airlines expressed gratitude to the flight crew for their professionalism and the passengers for their patience during the ordeal. “We thank our flight crew for their professionalism and our customers for their patience,” the airline stated.