Woman Boards a Southwest Airlines Flight From Texas to California, Then Hears a Loud Pop Sound Mid-air: ‘I Almost Lost My Bestie’
Mid-air nightmare
On June 5, 2026, TikTok user @emxpalmtree shared a video on her profile describing her experience traveling with Southwest Airlines from Texas to California. At the start of the video, Emelie gives an overview of her experiences before diving into the story and mentions that the incident nearly cost her her life.
Talking about the incident in question, Emelie said that a few minutes into her Southwest flight from Austin, Texas, to California, she heard a loud pop and saw the cabin lights flicker. She explained that the unexpected noise caused quite a stir among the passengers. A few minutes later, Emelie says they were told that the plane’s right engine had blown out. She also mentions in her video that this was the same engine she was sitting closest to.
TikTok user @emxpalmtree had a troubling experience while flying with Southwest Airlines
As previously mentioned, on June 5, 2026, TikTok user @emxpalmtree uploaded a video in which she spoke about her frightening experience while traveling with Southwest Airlines from Texas to California. She mentioned that after she heard a loud pop and saw the cabin lights flicker, she learned that the engine she was sitting close to had blown out.
Emelie states that several minutes after the incident, her Southwest flight turned around for Austin and made an emergency landing there. According to Emelie, passengers were not clearly told what was happening before the plane returned to Austin.
After her flight landed in Austin, Emelie mentioned that firefighters were already waiting on the runway to handle any emergencies. She said passengers waited on the tarmac for a while after landing, while emergency crews inspected the aircraft and the wheels cooled down. Emelie added that the firefighters at the scene inspected the plane to make sure everything was okay, and once they did, the passengers eventually deboarded. Speaking about the frightening experience, Emelie, in her concluding statements, says, “ I’m not someone who’s afraid of flying. I feel like I am a pretty frequent flyer. That was terrifying.”
What people are saying in the comments of @emxpalmtree’s video
A few people have commented under Emelie’s video, in which she shared the story of the time her Southwest flight to California malfunctioned and had to be turned back to the source location. User @sabrinaxellen96 wrote, “I almost lost my bestie.” User @bella.salazarr said, “almost lost a baddie fr.”
User @caylakozik commented, “wait omg! That’s so scary, Thank God you are okay!!!” User @abigailmsavage “Oh my gosh I’m so glad you’re okay!!”
Can planes fly on one engine?
An article published by CNN on February 14, 2023, confirms that planes can fly with one operational engine. Written by Doug Drury, a Professor and Head of Aviation at Central Queensland University, the article states that planes are designed to fly on one engine.
Drury notes that, by law, planes must be able to fly from one point to another, over water, using just one engine. He also states that “the guidance set by safety regulators in Australia mandates that any plane that takes off with the intention of getting to a certain destination has to be able to get there on one engine – based on the departure loads determined before takeoff.” Additionally, he points out that this rule ensures that even if one engine fails, the plane can still land safely. He emphasizes that the plane can fly “until it runs out of fuel.” He mentions that these planes are built to fly as well on one engine as they do on two. “Having just one engine operating means you won’t have the maximum thrust power for takeoff, but you’d still be able to fly and land safely,” he notes.
(featured image: TikTok/@emxpalmtree)
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