BANGOR — An Allegiant Air flight headed for Orlando, Fla., was forced to return to Bangor International Airport about 10:45 a.m. Sunday shortly after takeoff due to an engine problem, according James Canders, assistant airport director.
The pilot noticed a loss of power in the left engine, declared an emergency and circled back to land, Cander said Monday.
A passenger Monday morning posted information about the incident on the Community News page of the Bangor Daily News’ website.
Albert Blackadar said in the post that he was on board a flight to the Sanford/Orlando airport when “there were many loud clangs, and thumps accompanied by the plane lurching and dropping. This lasted for over a minute and then it stopped.
“We continued [to] climb for about five minutes when an announcement came over the intercom saying that we were returning to Bangor,” he continued. “We landed uneventfully but were greeted by several firetrucks and firemen in full hazard gear.”
Canders said Monday that the engine problem was caused when a part came loose but did not fall out of the engine.
“The plane landed without incident,” he said.
Allegiant sent a new plane up from Orlando on Sunday but it was not able to take off from Bangor until about 8:30 a.m. Monday, Canders said. It was to have landed in Florida between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m.
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