A major engine malfunction on a Southwest flight from New Orleans to Orlando forced the plane to divert, causing some passengers to fear they were under attack, NBC News reported.
Southwest Flight 3472 with 99 passengers and five crew members landed safely in Pensacola Saturday morning after the engine failure, which occurred at cruising altitude, the airline said.
Passengers reported hearing a loud boom and said they saw smoke from the left engine. Some also reported seeing metal flapping after the smoke cleared.
Emergency vehicles were on standby as the Boeing 737 landed.
The airline said the plane suffered a "mechanical issue with the number one engine." The National Transport Safety Board said it will investigate what happened.
