An American Airlines plane bound for balmy Cancun had to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport after the crew declared an emergency due to an engine-related issue shortly after takeoff Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
No one was hurt, and flight 2681, a Boeing 738, landed safely at the Queens hub around 1:20 p.m., the FAA said.
It's not clear what happened, but airport sources tell News 4 someone thought they saw flames on one of the aircraft's wings. American Airlines said there was a mechanical issue, no flames, and the airport sources confirmed to News 4 there was no evidence of fire.
News 4 has reached out to Port Authority.
It wasn't clear how many people were on the plane.
Pei-Sze Cheng contributed to this report.