American Airlines flight diverted after engine stalled, pilot says

A flight from Charlotte, NC to Portland was diverted due to a “possible mechanical issue” on Thursday, an American Airlines spokesperson said. (Credit: KPTV)
Published: Jan. 29, 2024 at 12:10 PM EST

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) - A flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Portland, Oregon, was diverted due to a “possible mechanical issue” on Thursday, according to an American Airlines spokesperson,

In a recording of the pilot’s distress call, the pilot says one of the engines on the Airbus A321 had stalled mid-flight.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” the pilot can be heard saying. “We are descending to 240 right now. We’ve had engine number one stall. It’s losing power and we are starting our descent to 240. We are working on the situation now. Stand by for more information.”

Flight 1849 was diverted and landed safely in Minneapolis.

“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and appreciate our team members for their professionalism,” American Airlines said in a statement.

A passenger on the flight says he saw sparks flying from the stalled engine and felt the whole plane shudder.

American Airlines has not confirmed those details.