Yesterday's Aer Arann flight - with 36 passengers on board - was on its way from Carrickfin in Donegal to Dublin when one of the plane's engines shut down. It then flew on the one remaining engine for approximately 25 minutes before landing safely at City of Derry at around 10.30 a.m. The emergency services - including fire engines, ambulances and police - were put on standby until the flight landed safely.

The incident comes just days after a British Airways flight crash-landed at Heathrow Airport after developing a fault while coming in to land.

One of the passengers on the Aer Arann flight, Geraldine Doherty, said she feared for her life and described her experience as 'totally terrifying'.

"It was absolutely awful," she said. "After we departed from Donegal we were told the plane had developed a fault and I looked out the right hand side of the plane and I could see that the propeller had stopped. It was really frightening and a totally terrifying experience for everyone on board."

Ms Doherty said passengers were anxious about the plane's second engine and how they would land.

"Everyone on board was very quiet and anxious," she said. "We were worried in case the second engine would go. That was the real fear of the people on board."

Another passenger, Tom Morry - who was at Healthrow Airport during last week's emergency - said he feared the Aer Arann flight would have to make a similar landing.

"I was actually thinking about that (Heathrow] and hoping that our pilot would have as much skill as the London one," he said.

Mr. Morry recalled the moment when he realised the engine had stopped and spoke of the widespread fear onboard the flight.

"We heard noises and then the plane gave a shudder. I looked and noticed the propeller had stopped and that is when I got very nervous because I knew that something had gone badly wrong. Everyone was apprehensive and were keeping an eye on the second wing. That is what occupied everyone at that point. Everyone was very quiet on board and it was very tense but, once we landed, there was a huge release of tension," he said.

Round of applause

Mr Morry also praised the pilot for landing the plane so well: "We didn't know what to expect but the pilot was super. There was a huge round of applause."

A spokesperson for Aer Arann said the plane landed at City of Derry as a precautionary measure. "RE 202 had a technical fault with its engine. As a precautionary measure, the Captain took the decision to land at City of Derry Airport soon after tak-off."

A spokesperson for Derry City Council praised the efforts of emergency crews and confirmed that the aircraft would remain at City of Derry until the fault was repaired.