Woman Is On Plane To Los Angeles. Then The Left Engine ‘Quits.’ The Pilot’s Response On The Intercom Shocks Her

If you have a fear of flying, you might want to click off this one.

Plane accidents are really, really rare. They’re so rare, in fact, that you probably don’t need to worry about one happening to you in your lifetime, even if you’re a frequent traveler. Not only that, but very few airplane accidents result in significant losses of life, with most crashes having a survival rate of 80 to 100 percent.

That said, you’re still in a metal tube in the sky. While it’s uncommon for something to go wrong, it very much can. For example, one flyer documented their experience of having the power go out while they were in the sky. Another claimed their flight had to be turned around due to an unruly passenger.

Now, a user has shared their in-air terror. In short, an engine appears to have gone out mid-flight. But is that really as bad as it sounds?

What Happened During This Flight?

In a clip with over 783,000 views, TikTok user Saru Sothang (@tacklesido) shares a video reportedly taken as a plane was landing in Los Angeles. According to the video’s overlay text, the following announcement was preceded by a “LOUD BANG during landing.”

“As we’re coming back to Los Angeles, we continue to have the fuel problem,” the pilot starts over the intercom. “But on the way below 10,000 feet or so, which is about four minutes before landing, our left engine decided to quit.”

While this may sound horrifying, the pilot sounds surprisingly calm, noting that the “right engine was great.”

“We had a nice, eventful, nice, smooth landing,” he states. “I’ve been flying 35 years. This is my first engine failure.”

This video isn’t new. It’s been circulating around the internet since at least early 2025. But every time it gets passed around, people are shocked by the pilot’s response. Why wasn’t he more freaked out?

There’s A Reason The Pilot Was So Calm

Of course, it’s almost certain the pilot was pretty rattled by the experience of losing an engine mid-air. He was probably sweating bullets the whole time, and his announcement at the end involved a little bit of acting to make sure the passengers stayed calm.

However, it should be noted that pilots are well-trained for experiences like these.

As reported by ABC News in April 2012, modern aircraft are designed to be able to fly with one engine. That said, it’s not like the plane will fly exactly the same with one engine as it does with two. This is why pilots practice for this sort of situation in flight simulators.

The article notes that “In the simulator, pilots regularly practice an engine failure during takeoff, plus landing with one engine shut down.” This is a challenge, as having only one engine results in asymmetric thrust, increased drag, reduced available thrust, and a host of other potential issues.

While it’s likely that the pilot was pretty shaken by the whole thing, he was well-trained to handle it—which is why it seems like the airplane was able to land in Los Angeles without issue. Still, not a great thing to hear if you have even the slightest fear of flying.

People Commended The Pilot

Even though the plane appears to have landed safely, users in the comments were pretty alarmed by the situation. However, many also commended the pilot for their handling of the situation.

“I appreciate pilots keeping that to themselves until you’re landed already,” a user wrote.

“He’s like ‘After all these my years of training for this, I finally get my chance!’” another joked.

“I respect him for waiting until the plane landed,” shared a third. “I wouldn’t want to know in the sky.”

“Now this is a moment you clap when you landed,” offered a further TikToker.

BroBible reached out to Sothang via TikTok direct message and comment.