Friday afternoon I left Los Angeles International Airport on the way to Dallas Fortworth - normally a three hour flight. This time, about an hour out, boom! boom! boom! boom! - a burst of shuddering blasts that shook and jarred the plane coming from the right side. The right engine, to be specific. I was on the left side of the plane and when I looked over I could see the fear in people's faces and bodies.
A crew member came on the intercom, speaking calm things with a fearful voice - this is not usual, but it happens, we are alright, we are doing a few checks on the engine - he said that this was a compression stall - (also called compressor surge)
A few minutes later he reported that the checks showed the engine was performing properly.
About 15 minutes later it started again. This time the plane banked sharply to the left and the pilot came on to tell us that regulations require that when an incident like this happens twice we are to head for the nearest appropriate airport - in this case, "we are turning back to Phoenix." He also assured us that the plane could fly on one engine and that the right engine was running at idle speed.
We landed with fire trucks and emergency personnel waiting for us - the aircraft a little shakey but an OK landing.
I remember thinking how ironic it was that I was going to see my Sister and her family after their survival of the New Orleans disaster, who are staying at my Brother's, who is a jet engine mechanic/instructor and I'm wondering if I am going to die in an airplane crash.
So I caught a flight to Denver, then on to Dallas - so late Friday night I finally got there.
I'll have more on their situation soon - and I have video of their statements, so if all goes well, I will have some of that to go up soon.