Sun Country flight from Seattle diverted to Spokane Friday after engine shutdown

A Sun Country Airlines flight from Seattle to Minneapolis diverted to Spokane on Friday night when an engine shut down.

Sun Country Flight 286 took off shortly after 6 p.m. and was in the air for about two hours before landing in Spokane, the airline said in a statement obtained by the Seattle Times on Saturday. The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was flying over Montana when pilots turned around.

“Our pilots followed procedures, and the flight landed safely at Spokane,” Sun Country’s statement read. “The safety of our passengers and crew are our priority, and we appreciate the work of our pilots and flight attendants to ensure the safety of our customers.”

Spokane International Airport spokesperson Alannah Toft declined to answer questions about how the diverted flight impacted airport operations.

Customers left Spokane Saturday morning on another plane and arrived in Minneapolis just after 3 p.m.

A Sun Country spokesperson said Monday they are replacing a part on the aircraft’s engine. While Boeing is the maker of the aircraft, the company did not make the engines.

According to Federal Aviation Administration data, the aircraft was one of the Minneapolis-based Sun Country’s 43 passenger planes.