Moment backpack flies into plane propeller from cargo hold sparking emergency landing

A backpack from a plane's hold was pulled into its propeller, forcing the pilot to make a scary.

A video captured the remarkable incident, with the footage showing the Let L-410 twin-engine plane flying over the ocean as the bag suddenly flies into the propeller. The engine briefly stops before starting up again and spinning irregularly.

The pilot of the aircraft, operated by the small airline Aerocord, was forced to make an emergency landing. Eighteen terrified passengers were onboard at the time. The backpack flew out of the as the door was partially open.

The plane had taken off from the city of Chaitén in Chile and was bound for Puerto Montt about 150 miles away. Aerocord operates the route every day. The airline later said that a bird had struck the fuselage, causing damage to the hold door and preventing it from closing properly.

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The bag then escaped from the hold and flew into the engine. One passenger told local media: “We felt a very strong blow and then everything started to shake.”

The pilot was forced to turn around and carry out an emergency landing in Chaitén. An Aerocord spokesman said: “The incident was reported to the relevant aeronautical authorities and, after activating the respective safety protocols, a decision was taken to return to Chaitén.”

Passengers had to wait over four hours before re-boarding the plane to fly to their destination as the hold door would not close properly. They eventually arrived in Puerto Montt without further incident.