Right Turbine Departs Plane On Takeoff

If anyone ever wondered why twin-engine commercial airliners must be able to continue takeoff on just one engine... here's why. Passengers on a South African Boeing 737-200 spent some terrifying moments bracing for the worst, after the aircraft's right engine fell off the wing during takeoff Wednesday afternoon.

According to London's Daily Mail, Nationwide Airlines flight 723 had just departed Cape Town Airport, bound for Johannesburg, when passengers onboard heard a thunk... and saw the right engine nacelle falling from the plane.

"I heard this huge bang, and the man next to me said: 'That's our engine that's just fallen off.'" said businesswoman Ronel Derman, who was seated over the wing and watched the situation unfold. "I couldn't believe it. He had to repeat it to me."

As the airliner continued its climbout, the 106 passengers onboard were told to brace for an emergency landing. The cabin crew told passengers to remove their shows, and to bend forward.

"They didn't know what to expect. It could have been a hard landing. It could have been anything," said Derman. "I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life, ever."

The plane circled to burn off fuel, before returning to Cape Town... where the aircraft made a relatively uneventful landing, considering.

"The plane started to shake a bit, but what was amazing was the staff and passengers," said Derman. "Everybody was so calm. There was no hysteria, no nothing, it was amazing."

Passengers cheered the pilot, who walked into the cabin after the plane came to a stop, surrounded by emergency equipment. No one was injured.

South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the incident. On Thursday, Nationwide said it appears the number two engine ingested an unknown object before it separated from the plane.

"Nationwide Airlines has since determined that during the take-off roll an object which is yet to be defined was ingested into the engine causing engine failure," the airline said. "The subsequent forces experienced by the engine supporting structure caused this to fail and for the number two engine to detach from the wing."

FMI: www.flynationwide.co.za/