Plane makes emergency landing at McCarran amid engine concern

An Allegiant Air plane made an emergency landing at McCarran International Airport shortly after takeoff about 4:20 p.m. Saturday, according to airport spokesman Chris Jones.

The plane, a Boeing 757, had just taken off for Fresno, Calif., when the pilot declared an emergency amid concerns about a left engine fire, Jones said. The plane landed safely; Jones didn't know how many people were on board, or whether the airline planned to put them on another plane.

There were no signs of an engine fire, said Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell. Calls to Allegiant Air representatives were not returned.

Deana Epperson said she lives at Flamingo Boulevard at Maryland Parkway, near the airport, and heard loud booms shortly after 4 p.m.

"I thought it was maybe an explosion downstairs, or that people were throwing stuff at the walls," she said. "You could just hear something was not right, and we see these planes take off all day, every day, 24/7."

She went outside, where others were looking at the sky.

"It was really fast and really loud and very violent," Epperson said. "Even if it would have been night and we would have had the blinds closed, we would have felt it and heard it."