LOCAL : Engine Fails on Takeoff; Plane Returns Safely to John Wayne

The engine of an America West jet failed on takeoff this morning from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, but the pilot of the Boeing 757 was able to circle back and land safely.

An airline spokesman said that the 157 passengers aboard the Phoenix-bound Flight 4 were never endangered and that the landing was uneventful. The pilot radioed the tower for airport fire crews, but the plane was able to taxi to the gate without incident.

Some witnesses reported hearing a bang just after the twin-engine jet lifted off the runway about 7:30 a.m. When the pilot realized that there was a problem, he shut down the Rolls Royce-manufactured engine on the plane’s right side and banked to approach for landing.

America West spokesman Dick Shimizu said the cause of engine failure was under investigation but is believed to have been a failed air compressor. Passengers were rebooked on other flights.

Mike Brewer, a Corona del Mar aviation buff who watched the incident from atop the airport’s new parking structure, said the pilot appeared to have no difficulty controlling the aircraft.

“It was a normal takeoff, and all of a sudden I saw a lot of smoke come out of the engine,” said Brewer, an Orange Coast College student.

Fire Capt. Gary Wuchner, who watched the takeoff from the tower, said he saw a momentary burst of flame from the rear of the plane’s right engine as the plane rose to about 500 feet. “He made a real good turn,” Wuchner said. “He sort of yawed to the right.”