SY430 - Engine Fire During Climb

Sun Country Airlines Flight 430, operating a Boeing 737-800 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), experienced a serious engine malfunction during climb on July 14, 2025. The incident occurred approximately 20 minutes after departure at 1:12 AM local time, when the aircraft's right engine began emitting sparks and flames visible to passengers. Passenger Ruth Sorensen described hearing "a sound like lightning had struck the plane or something had exploded." Another passenger, Sarah, who was seated near the affected engine, reported seeing "a really bright flash out the window" followed by visible flames. The flight crew immediately recognized the emergency situation and declared an emergency to air traffic control. Following standard emergency procedures, the pilots shut down the affected engine and initiated an immediate return to LAX. Emergency vehicles were pre-positioned on the runway as the aircraft approached for landing. The Boeing 737-800 landed safely at LAX around 1:00 AM local time and taxied to the gate under its own power using the remaining operational engine. All 166 passengers and 6 crew members evacuated safely with no injuries reported. The aircraft was immediately removed from service for inspection. The FAA launched a formal investigation within hours of the incident to determine the root cause of the engine fire. Sun Country Airlines arranged for passengers to be accommodated on a replacement aircraft, which departed later that morning and arrived in Minneapolis around 3:00 PM local time.