Spirit Airlines passengers told to brace for “water landing”

MONTEGO BAY: Passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight from Jamaica to Florida experienced a frightening experience when the aircraft encountered a suspected mechanical issue, forcing the pilot to announce the possibility of a “water landing” on Thursday.

The Spirit Airlines flight had departed from Montego Bay, Jamaica and en route to Florida, United States when the incident occurred.

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According to reports, passengers on the Spirit Airlines plane were told to prepare for a water landing shortly after the aircraft diverted from its intended path. The decision to reverse course was made “out of an abundance of caution following a suspected mechanical issue,” Spirit Airlines stated in a statement.

Passenger uploaded videos on social media platform Tiktok showing the tense moments onboard. They said the pilot initially reassured them that there was “nothing to be” alarmed about. However, shortly afterward, the pilot announced the need to return to Montego Bay airport and to “prepare” for an emergency “water landing”.

Video footage shared on social media showed entire plane in a state of panic. The sound of an emergency signal could be in the background. Despite the bizarre and harrowing situation, the flight ultimately landed safely at Montego Bay airport, and passengers were deplaned.

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Spirit Airlines officially apologised to passengers for any inconvenience caused and assured them that the aircraft would be thoroughly evaluated by their maintenance team. The airline reiterated that safety is their top priority and expressed regret for the disruption to passengers’ travel plans.