On March 6, a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the skies when a SpaceX Starship rocket explodedduring a unmanned test flight not long after liftoff in Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket began spinning uncontrollably due to engine shutdowns, leading to an explosion that left debris falling over the Caribbean.
This incident disrupted air travel, affecting passengers like Mariah Davenport and her boyfriend Dane, who were on a Frontier Airlines flight from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Davenport caught the explosion from her window seat as the plane turned back to Punta Cana for safety measures.
The caption on a TikTok post by Davenport (@mariah.davenport) reads, “Imagine being an hour and a half into your flight out of Punta Cana & having to turn around because Elon’s rocket blew up & you were this close to it happening.
SpaceX explosion as seen from airplane window.
mariah.davenport//TMX
As Davenport recounts exclusively to PEOPLE, the flight was proceeding smoothly until the pilot came on the intercom. “At first, when the pilot announced that we could see the rocket explosion, everyone on the plane rushed to look out the right side windows to watch,” she explains.
The scene was described as “very pretty,” similar to a large firework, with no immediate indication of danger. However, the perception changed about 20 minutes later, when the pilot announced that they would be turning the plane around due to air traffic control directives. The decision was met with skepticism by some passengers, with many questioning the severity of the situation, Davenport says.
The detour added a significant three hours to what should have been a five-hour flight, forcing them to land back in Punta Cana temporarily. Davenport says they were back in the Dominican Republic for about 45 minutes before refueling and continuing their journey.
The delay meant they finally arrived at Chicago O’Hare around 1:45 a.m., instead of their scheduled 10:11 pm. landing.
Throughout the ordeal, Davenport says the pilot and crew were praised for their transparency and professionalism. “They were very honest about everything and told us what they knew,” she shares, adding at one point they called the rocket explosion “too close for comfort.”
In addition to Davenport’s flight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops at several Florida airports that evening due to falling debris from the SpaceX explosion. The incident marks the second failure for Elon Musk’s Mars mission program this year, after Starship previously exploded during a test flight in January, causing debris to fall over Turks and Caicos.
