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A MELBOURNE couple has told how they were caught up in a bizarre emergency when a jumbo sucked a container into an engine.
Mickleham grandmother Carol van Schellen took extraordinary photos of the large metal container wedged in the engine from her seat on the flight at Los Angeles International Airport.
While emergency crews dashed to the stricken Japan Airlines plane, the incident provoked an unusual reaction from passengers - many looked out the window and laughed.
The Boeing 747, carrying 245 passengers, sucked up the baggage container as it was taxiing towards the runway to take off for Narita, Japan, early yesterday Australian time.
Passengers were alerted something had gone wrong when the captain made an announcement, Mrs van Schellen's husband, Aalt, said.
"The captain was saying we have a problem with the number one engine - it was a bloody problem all right,'' Mr van Schellen, 66, said.
"It was a little bit bizarre.
"As people realised what had happened they look out the window and laughed.''
The incident was caused by the vacuum created by the air intake of the engine sucking the empty container off a baggage cart, airport officials said.
"(The baggage cart) probably got a bit close to the aircraft,'' Mr van Schellen said.
His wife was seated at the window near the engine involved.
"I glanced to my left and saw a luggage container in the engine,'' Mrs van Schellen, 65, said.
"It was right outside the window, we sat there and waited to see what was going to happen.'
"(The pilot) said they would do an inspection to see if we could go on.
"I think they thought they might have been able to fix the problem.''
The crippled plane was eventually towed to a nearby hangar for repairs.
The van Schellens were en route to Melbourne via Japan, after a two-month caravaning holiday in the US.
"Obviously if we had got off the ground it would have been more serious,'' Mrs Van Schellen said.
US aviation authorities were last night investigating the incident.
JAL Flight 61 had been leaving the gate when the object blocked one of the engines, according to Los Angeles World Airports, the agency which operates the airport.
The passengers on board were transported back to the airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal.
No one was injured.
Mickleham grandmother Carol van Schellen took extraordinary photos of the large metal container wedged in the engine from her seat on the flight at Los Angeles International Airport.
While emergency crews dashed to the stricken Japan Airlines plane, the incident provoked an unusual reaction from passengers - many looked out the window and laughed.
The Boeing 747, carrying 245 passengers, sucked up the baggage container as it was taxiing towards the runway to take off for Narita, Japan, early yesterday Australian time.
Passengers were alerted something had gone wrong when the captain made an announcement, Mrs van Schellen's husband, Aalt, said.
"The captain was saying we have a problem with the number one engine - it was a bloody problem all right,'' Mr van Schellen, 66, said.
"It was a little bit bizarre.
"As people realised what had happened they look out the window and laughed.''
The incident was caused by the vacuum created by the air intake of the engine sucking the empty container off a baggage cart, airport officials said.
"(The baggage cart) probably got a bit close to the aircraft,'' Mr van Schellen said.
His wife was seated at the window near the engine involved.
"I glanced to my left and saw a luggage container in the engine,'' Mrs van Schellen, 65, said.
"It was right outside the window, we sat there and waited to see what was going to happen.'
"(The pilot) said they would do an inspection to see if we could go on.
"I think they thought they might have been able to fix the problem.''
The crippled plane was eventually towed to a nearby hangar for repairs.
The van Schellens were en route to Melbourne via Japan, after a two-month caravaning holiday in the US.
"Obviously if we had got off the ground it would have been more serious,'' Mrs Van Schellen said.
US aviation authorities were last night investigating the incident.
JAL Flight 61 had been leaving the gate when the object blocked one of the engines, according to Los Angeles World Airports, the agency which operates the airport.
The passengers on board were transported back to the airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal.
No one was injured.