Allegiant Air flight from Louisville to Florida on Saturday turns around due to mechanical issue

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An Allegiant Air flight from Louisville to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday afternoon had to turn around due to a mechanical issue, according to officials with the Muhammad Ali International Airport.

The plane was scheduled to depart Louisville at 3 p.m. Saturday but turned around when an "engine indicator notification" light came on roughly 15 minutes into the trip, airport officials told WDRB News. The plane was able to land and taxi to a gate without any issues, and the 125 passengers on board deplaned, according to officials with Allegiant.

Cameron Debity, a passenger on the plane, told WDRB News that flight attendants prepared passengers for a hard landing and described the experience as "chaotic."

Once the plane landed, Debity said flight attendants instructed passengers to "quickly unbuckle" their seat belts, and later announced that "there was a fire in the left engine" that had to be put out by firefighters.

Airport officials told WDRB News that no smoke or fire was seen coming from the plane.

The plane was inspected, per standard operating procedures, Allegiant officials said. No official word yet, however, on what caused the initial indicator light to come on.

A replacement plane was sent so the flight could resume, and passengers were scheduled to arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 1 a.m. Sunday, officials with Allegiant Air said.