PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
Passengers on board a Horizon flight described terrifying moments after one of the plane's engines shut down while in the air.
Flight 2130 took off from PDX around 7 p.m., headed to Seattle, but the number two engine went out shortly after take-off, confirmed a spokeswoman with Horizon.
The plane turned around immediately and landed safely in Portland around 7:30 p.m.
Around 55 passengers were on board. No one was hurt. However, passengers told Fox 12 they feared the worst. They described hearing a "pop," and seeing a flash right before the engine failed.
"It was like this huge explosion," said passenger Jenny Allen. "Then all of a sudden everything stopped, got totally quiet, and everyone started to panic."
Allen described people pulling out their cell phones to take video and call loved ones.
"We all started making friends," said Allen. "Saying our goodbyes to our family," she laughed, grateful to be back on the ground.
A Horizon spokeswoman says maintenance crews are examining the Q400 Turbo prop to determine what went wrong. However, she said the plane is designed to fly with just one engine, and she said the pilot and crew did everything correctly.
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