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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah couple is among several passengers happy to be alive after a flight from Costa Rica to Texas took a frightful turn over the ocean Monday.

One of the plane's engines overheated, said Deseret News sportswriter Jody Genessy, who traveled to the nation with his wife last week for a trip related to his work as a health coach.

"All of the sudden the pilot came on and said, 'In layman's terms, the engine light is on. There's a problem with one of our engines. We need to turn around and go back to Liberia, Costa Rica,'" Genessy said by phone Monday evening.

The plane circled above the waves for an hour to burn fuel and lose enough weight to touch down, Genessy said. On landing, the plane hit a wind shear, wobbled and nearly tilted so much that a wing hit the ground. Then the pilot corrected and the other side almost crashed down, Genessy said.

Genessy and his wife Heather feared their four kids wouldn't see them again, he said. Fire engines and ambulances were waiting for them to land.

But the pilot restored balance. No one was injured, and the plane erupted in cheers.

"We were all just freaking out. Your life flashes before your eyes," Genessy said. "As soon as we landed, it was as if the pilot won the Super Bowl for us."

United flight 1516 was bound for Houston, Texas, from Liberia, a city near Costa Rica's northwestern border with Nicaragua.

United Airlines told People Magazine the flight returned to Liberia because of a maintenance issue.

"The plane landed safely and a new aircraft is being sent to take customers to Houston tomorrow," United said in the prepared statement issued to People. "We apologize to all customers on board for their experience and will be providing compensation for the inconvenience.”

The airline issued Genessy a $10 voucher, according to his Twitter post. But the traveler said he felt he had received a much greater reward.

"You're never more happy to be alive than when you're faced with the fear of dying," he said.

One of my plane's engines overheated over the ocean. We about crashed in an emergency landing before the pilot quickly pulled up. So scary. pic.twitter.com/qbmlQOnYRX — Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) April 24, 2017

Gwen Peterson, another Utah passenger who sat in Row 10, said Tuesday during a stop in Houston that she questioned at times whether she would escape the flight alive. Passengers, she said, were told that the plane was "one engine down," and it swayed violently on the first attempt to land.

“When we got close to the ground, now the airplane’s doing this,” Peterson said, waving her level hand back and forth. “Then when he started to get out of control like this, (the pilot) just gunned it and took back off again.”

She praised the pilot, who safely landed the plane on the second attempt.

“Luckily, this pilot was amazing,” Peterson said. “He knew what to do in a moment of crisis.”

Peterson captured video of passengers applauding the crew as they boarded the plane Tuesday for “round two.”

“At least we’re alive,” she said.

Peterson was more critical of the airline itself, saying the compensation for the flight was not what it should have been. She was hoping for more of a response from United.

“It was unreal – nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Peterson said.

Contributing: Brianna Bodily

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