A pilot on United Flight 328 to Honolulu told air traffic control that the plane had an "engine failure" after reporting a "mayday,” authorities said. Large pieces of metal debris landed in the neighboring city of Broomfield, Colorado.
Passengers aboard the flight, which carried 231 travelers and 10 crew members, recorded the engine in flames as it sailed through the sky. Video showed the frightening sight of the plane’s motor stripped down and on fire.
The plane's crew managed to land safely back at Denver following the brief, but harrowing, departure.
Authorities asked residents in the Broomfield area to leave the metal parts that fell from the sky as investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board "wants all debris to remain in place for investigation.”
Broomfield police said Saturday there were no reports of injuries.