It was a tense time aloft for 260 terrified people on board a Virgin Atlantic flight in the sky Sunday as one of two engines on a giant 787 jet quit and the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.

There were few details yet available, but the 787-900 aircraft, with an estimated 260 people on board, safely landed at the airport at 1:15 p.m., said LAX public information officer Frederick Badlissi.

It was not immediately announced what caused the mechanical issue or where the flight had originated, Badlissi said.

Firefighters were told that the twin-engine aircraft had lost one engine and it was leaking oil. The 787 is designed to fly with one functioning engine.

After a tense landing on one engine, the aircraft taxied to Virgin Atlantic’s Terminal 2 and passengers were able to leave the plane by normal procedures at Gate 25.

–City News Service

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