United Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Catches Fire: 'Most Terrifying Experience'

A Los Angeles-bound United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday when sparks began to fly from the plane’s engine.

United flight 1871 departed from Newark, New Jersey, after being delayed for two hours, according to several passengers’ tweets, and was only in the air for a few minutes before having to turn around due to an engine problem.

According to footage captured by a passenger on the flight, flames are seen shooting off from the right wing of the plane several times in a row.

“The plane I was on had an engine malfunction minutes after take off,” the passenger wrote.

Another passenger called the flight the “most terrifying experience of my life.”

“Flight delayed 2 hours for maintence[sic] issues. Flight takes off, Right wing of the plane (where I’m sitting in the aisle seat) sparking & now one engine failed. They’re making announcements but I can’t hear anything b/c people are screaming,” the user continued.

Fire trucks met the plane upon landing in Newark, USA Today reported.

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Following the incident, United spokeswoman Kimberly Gibbs told the outlet that “United 1871 from Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles returned to Newark due to a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and passengers deplaned normally. We are working on changing aircraft to get our customers to their destination as soon as possible.”

A photo of the plane’s path shows how far the flight went before having to backtrack in circles before landing in Newark.

A representative for United Airlines did not immediately reply to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Passengers eventually made it to Los Angeles around 5 a.m. PST after being re-booked on a later flight, ABC News reported.