Passengers aboard Air France flight AF 7721 were left praying for their lives when the plane’s left engine exploded just 30 minutes after takeoff. The jet nose-dived nearly 30,000 feet in a heart-stopping freefall from the skies over France.
Flames on the Wing? Passengers Panic as Jet Plunges
Chaos erupted and there was pure panic. The alarms started blaring and everything was flashing, People were screaming, a man grabbed his kids, convinced the plane was going down.
Captain Forces Emergency Landing on One Engine
The pilot broke the grim news mid-flight: the left engine “had stopped working.” Air France confirmed it was an “engine failure,” likely caused by an engine surge — a sudden air pocket causing dangerous vibrations.
Showing nerves of steel, the crew diverted to Lyon and safely landed the Airbus A320 on just one engine. A spokesperson said this is standard procedure to keep passengers safe.
Afterward, passengers were bussed to Ajaccio, finally arriving at 3am following a replacement flight via Bastia.
Industry insiders stressed that while rare, flying on a single engine is perfectly possible and safe. Contrary to panic reports, they denied any wing fire but admitted brief flames inside the engine were plausible.
Trauma and Legal Action Loom
Though everyone landed safely, the nightmare isn’t over. Joelle plans to file a complaint against Air France, citing the trauma inflicted on her 8-year-old granddaughter who “spent the night trembling, crying, and waking from nightmares.”
The stricken Airbus A320, powered by reliable CFM56 engines, remains grounded as investigators probe the incident.
