Inflight Engine Failure! AA Flight #1328

What turned out to be a wonderful first cruise, was almost ruined by an inflight failed engine! This story starts at 2:35pm. One of the travelers in my party was informed that a liquid have spilled in one of their suitcases. The handler told us they normally would take it off the plane, but they decided to load it anyway and we could not inspect the bag for damage. After a three hour delay and sitting parked on a side runway for almost three hours due to weather at PHL, American Airlines flight #1328 finally took off. After over an hour in the sky, the Captain announced there was an "engine trouble" light on and the plane would be landing at JAX. A few minutes passed and he came back on and informed us that the engine had failed and that we would be making and emergency landing at JAX with the police, fire trucks and other emergency crews waiting for us on the runway. A few minutes later the flight attendants along with "A retired AA Captain" came up and started given those of us sitting at the wing doors serious evacuation instructions. We landed at JAX without any problems with all the ER Crew lighting up the runways. What a sight to see in person! After getting off safely using the stairs, we were informed that the airport was closed, so there was no food, only soda and snack packs from the plane. The told us because TSA was closed, if we left our "secure area" we would not be allowed back into the airport until in the morning. Delays and more delays. We waited in the terminal for almost four hours waiting for another plane to arrive from MCO to transport us to PHL. Some persons choose to take hotel vouchers for JAX while the rest us of choose to take our chances waiting for the plane to arrive from MCO. Some travelers were informed that if they needed hotel vouchers in PHL they would have them when we arrived. We arrived in PHL at around 3:30am. Well the bag that had the spilled luggage was actually my bag (mixed luggage tags). All the clothes were soaked with raspberry rum, but it washed out so that wasn't too bad. Fifty passenger bags were left in JAX including one the travelers in my party. Can you say major choas! The hotel vouchers promised in JAX never surfaced and the traveler were on their own. After trying to get information from the baggage dept. and after arguing back and forth with them, we arrived home at 6:30am! After checking my luggage I called the airport at 9:00 to report a suit and my Captains Dinner pictures missing. What anyone would want with these I don't know. I went back to the airport at 10:30 to file a report and to pick up the final bag. Out of the 50 that were left in JAX only 22 made it by 10:30am. One of the most impersonal things of this whole fiasco is that to file a complaint with AA you can't even speak to a real person. You have to fax them a letter or email the complaint via their website. The airport personnel only handle luggage or ticket issues.

Wow

What a horrible ordeal. You must have been really scared. Did anyone panic on the jet. I have an AA flight booked for Jan.28/07 and returning Feb.20/07. I have heard a few things about AA that are not so good. This will be our first time using this airline and now I am scare to go. Would you use this airline again.

Sorry to hear your cruise had to end like that. But thank heaven your all safe and sound.

What was the service like in the jet..did you get tea and coffee or juice and soda.

Thankfully you all landed safe. A friend of mine was on a plane one time with the same scenerio. They landed with emergency vehicles everywhere but thankfully wasn't necessary.

Although I'm sure it was a harrowing ordeal, it sounds like you have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. You're home safe and sound.