An American Airlines Boeing 737 was forced into an emergency landing in South Carolina after flames erupted beneath its left wing shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft had reportedly struck birds while departing Myrtle Beach for Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday.

Passenger Patrick Gotwalt captured dramatic video showing fire and orange flashes streaming from the engine as the jet climbed over the water.

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The alarming scene unfolded while the aircraft shook and witnesses on the ground heard several loud popping sounds.

Nearby beachgoer Lindsey Mackey told CNN that the noises came before bright flashes appeared beneath the wing.

What began as a routine short flight quickly became a frightening test for the passengers, crew, and pilots responsible for getting everyone safely back to the airport.

American flight 1760 was carrying 172 passengers and nine crew members when the trouble began. The pilot reported an engine problem shortly after leaving the runway and issued an urgent distress call to air traffic controllers.

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“Mayday, mayday, mayday. We’ve got an engine problem here,” the pilot said, according to an audio recording obtained from LiveATC.

The call left little doubt about the seriousness of the situation as controllers and airport workers prepared for the aircraft to return.

Another pilot in the area apparently witnessed the encounter with the birds and reported what he had seen over the radio. “I saw he took up birds, it looked like, at least in the left side engine,” the pilot said.

Operations crews soon discovered multiple bird remains scattered across the runway, providing more evidence of what caused the frightening episode.

Workers moved quickly to clear the debris while the American Airlines jet circled and prepared for its emergency approach.

“We’ve got a lot of bird debris out here. We’re going to grab as many big pieces as we can,” one operations worker said over the radio.

The blunt report offered a grim picture of the impact, even as the crew remained focused on safely returning the damaged aircraft. The visible flames were likely caused by birds burning after entering the engine.

Authorities found no initial evidence that a fire had developed inside the engine itself, an important distinction given the dramatic images recorded by passengers and people below.

American Airlines confirmed that the flight returned to Myrtle Beach shortly after departure because of what the company described as a maintenance issue.

That corporate phrasing was technically tidy, but the flames, distress call, violent shaking, and runway debris told passengers exactly how serious the moment felt.

“The aircraft landed safely and has been taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,” an American Airlines spokesperson told The Post.

The jet remained grounded while specialists examined the aircraft and assessed any damage caused by the reported bird strike.

The airline also arranged another plane to complete the interrupted trip to Charlotte. “Our team worked to get customers on their way to Charlotte on a replacement aircraft,” the spokesperson added.

No injuries were reported among the 181 people aboard, despite the shaking and flames visible outside the cabin.

Passengers credited the pilots and flight crew with remaining composed while they leveled the aircraft, flew over the ocean, and organized the return to Myrtle Beach.

One passenger said the plane initially appeared to climb normally before beginning to shudder violently on the side where the bird strike occurred.

The aircraft remained in the air for roughly 15 minutes before touching down safely at the airport.

“The pilots were nice and calm; they seemed to level off, they went over the ocean, gave us a notice that they were coming back, and we came back. I guess we were up about 15 minutes, maybe,” the passenger told WCNC.

The safe landing prevented a terrifying engine incident from becoming a tragedy. It also highlighted the value of experienced pilots who kept their heads, followed emergency procedures, and brought nearly 200 people home while flames flashed outside the cabin.

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