Airplane Makes Emergency Landing In Grand Junction Colorado

An American Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Grand Junction Regional Airport Saturday night.

Plane Lands In Grand Junction With Possible Mechanical Issue

A plane traveling from Dallas/Fort Worth to Salt Lake was diverted to Grand Junction for what the airlines called a "possible mechanical issue." However, some passengers on the plane said something was definitely going on, but they were kept in the dark.

Flashes of Fire and Flickering Lights

According to a report from FOX 31, passengers saw flashes of fire, and lights in the cabin were flickering. To make matters worse, passengers said they didn't hear anything from the pilot until they were landing - and weren't told they were landing somewhere other than Salt Lake City.

The passengers reported seeing emergency vehicles on the runway, but the plane landed safely without incident.

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Three-Hour Wait For Replacement Plane

It ended up being a long night for the Salt Lake-bound passengers. When the plane landed in Grand Junction, "everything was closed" at the airport. Passengers had to wait 3 hours for a replacement plane to arrive. Eventually, the travelers were able to continue on their way - but a flight that was scheduled to arrive at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday reportedly didn't arrive until 4:00 a.m.Sunday morning in Salt Lake.

Airlines Offers Apology

In a statement, American Airlines said the flight was diverted to Grand Junction for a "possible mechanical issue" but that the flight landed safely and a "replacement aircraft was used to continue to Salt Lake. There was no official word as to whether the plane experienced engine failure. The airlines offered an apology to their customers, but apparently nothing else.

There were some tense moments on the flight who could tell something was up but didn't know exactly what. Ultimately, they were greatly inconvenienced - and every-present possibility with public transportation - but the bottom line is they made it to their definition safely - for which they should be thankful.