Illinois Mom Sent Terrifying Text to Kids as Plane Smelled of Fire
A harrowing flight for Tessa Springer culminated in an emergency landing and evacuation from the aircraft's wing.
An Illinois woman recounted a terrifying experience aboard an American Airlines flight that smelled of fire, prompting an emergency landing and an evacuation from the plane's wing. Tessa Springer and her husband, Mark Springer, were traveling from St. Louis, Missouri, to Philadelphia on a Saturday morning when the flight encountered multiple issues.
Before takeoff, passengers reported hearing a "horrible noise" from the rear of the CRJ-900 aircraft as pilots attempted to start the engines. The captain eventually informed passengers that the engines "can't get it started." After a two-hour delay, the plane finally departed.
Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the plane experienced a sudden jolt, described by Mark Springer as feeling like hitting a car at high speed, followed by a "boom and drop." Oxygen masks deployed from the cabin ceiling. As the cabin became hazy, Tessa Springer, fearing for her life, sent a text message to her children saying, "Problem on our plane, love you guys," adding, "I was like, ‘We’re going to die.’"
Responding to her message, a family member identified as ES asked for clarification about the problem and her destination.
Tessa Springer later shared on Facebook that the plane "smelled like fire" and that the moments before the emergency landing felt like the "last minutes of [her] life." Her husband held her and they expressed their love for each other.
Cabin crew instructed passengers to release their seatbelts, exit the aircraft, and leave their belongings behind. Springer reported that she and her husband were directed to separate exits. A fellow passenger assisted her in exiting via the plane's wing, after which they all ran to an open field to await transportation back to the terminal.
American Airlines confirmed that the flight, operated by PSA Airlines, landed safely at St. Louis due to a reported "odor" on board. A spokesperson stated that the aircraft was taken out of service for inspection and apologized to customers for the experience, commending the professionalism of the crew.
Passengers received $12 food vouchers as compensation, a gesture that another passenger, Olivia Clancy, described as feeling like "a slap in the face."