A passenger flight was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff following reports of a strange odor on board that left travelers fearing for their lives.An American Airlines flight departed from St.Louis Lambert International Airport on Oct.
17, bound for Philadelphia, before turning back to the airport.Gary Leff, a Texas-based aviation expert who founded the blog "View from the Wing," told Fox News Digital that engine oil entering an aircraft's air supply could potentially explain the odor, although the cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed.PROBE UNDERWAY AS 7 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SICKENED BY BAFFLING ODOR ON MAJOR AIRLINE"When that happens, you can get smoke, you can get vibration, you can get loud noises.It can also wind up making people ill," Leff said.FlightAware data reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that the plane was in the air for 34 minutes before landing back at St.
Louis Lambert International Airport.An American Airlines flight scheduled to depart St.Louis, seen above, at 6 a.m.
was delayed by roughly two hours before taking off.(Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)In a statement to Fox News Digital, American Airlines confirmed that the flight returned to St.
Louis shortly after takeoff following a reported odor on board.The airline said the aircraft landed safely and was taken out of service for inspection by its maintenance team.The flight had already been delayed roughly two hours following a reported engine issue before passengers experienced trouble in the air, according to a couple who spoke to local outlet First Alert 4.TRAVEL NIGHTMARE UNFOLDS AS MAJOR AIRLINE SCRAPS FLIGHT AFTER HARROWING 12-HOUR DELAYThe passengers — Tessa and Mark Springer of Waterloo, Illinois — were traveling to Pennsylvania for work when they heard a troubling noise coming from the back of the plane before takeoff."We heard just this really horrible noise coming from the back of the plane.It was like ...
real loud buzzing, kind of [a] grindi...