UPDATE : Allegiant spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo says the plane that was forced to land Wednesday night at Mid Continent Aiport is still at the airport, however, it has been moved off the runway. Airport officials are waiting on a new engine to arrive, and will take about three days to replace it.

Officials say the cause of last nights engine failure is under
investigation. They won't know what happened until the engine has been taken apart so they can evaluate it.

The charter plane was flying 125 passengers from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Laughlin, Nev., and had stopped at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita to refuel.

One person was slightly injured.

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UPDATE

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

One passenger was slightly injured Wednesday night after an engine on an Allegiant Air MD-80 blew up shortly after takeoff from Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport. The pilots turned the plane around and landed safely.

Allegiant spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo says the charter plane
was flying 125 passengers from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Laughlin, Nev.,
and had stopped at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita to refuel.

She says that after the plane resumed its flight, passengers heard a loud boom at about 1,500 feet and the pilot returned to Wichita.

"It sounded like a small bomb went off," said passenger John Williams. "My biggest fear was that the pilot didn't say anything until we got back on the ground. I'm sure it was only a couple minutes, but it felt like hours."

Williams and his wife Peggy said they have flown hundreds of times and have never experienced anything like this.

LoPiccolo, the Allegiant spokesperson, says one person was slightly injured while coming down an emergency slide from the plane. She says most of the passengers used the plane's stairs to exit, but 15 used the slide.

Officials believe the left engine failed, but LoPiccolo says there was no indication of a fire. It is unknown what caused the engine to fail.