SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV/CNN) - A frightening moment on a passenger jet Monday was followed by an emergency landing.
The Southwest jet had just taken off from Salt Lake, bound for Los Angeles, when one of its engines caught fire.
The incident was captured on video from the ground. The passengers recounted the terrifying experience.
"All of a sudden, we heard this big pop!" Traci Scarce said.
Just after 7 a.m., in the skies above Salt Lake, the engine caught fire in Southwest Flight 604 as captured in a cellphone video.
"Huge flames coming right out of the engine," one passenger said.
"What do you do? You've got shooting flames out the engine. It's crazy," Scarce said.
The Scarce family was heading back home to L.A. after a family trip to Salt Lake.
They were with their two daughters, 15-year-old Kiana and 10-year-old Bella.
"Flames flickering and the plane would shake every single time..." Kiana said.
"I kind of just got really, really scared, and I started crying. And I just started praying and holding my sister's hand," Bella said.
"Suddenly, there was just these huge explosions," said passenger Crystal Bangerter. This was her very first time on an airplane.
"I kind of looked over and saw the look on my husband's face and thought this wasn't normal," she said.
"It was scary - scary but thankful that it all turned out good," said Torrence, a father of five kids, who was with his uncle heading on a cruise.
He said the pilot and crew were amazing as they turned the plane around and made an emergency landing.
"He just remained completely calm and did an excellent job," Torrence said.
Once on the ground, Southwest brought out Fred the therapy dog to help calm the nerves of the kids.
"I wouldn't be as happy right now without it, made me really happy," Bella said.
Passengers boarded another plane to continue their journey to Los Angeles.
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