Woman Watches SpaceX Starship Explosion from Plane Window — Then Finds Out Her Flight Is 'Too Close for Comfort' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

On March 6, a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the skies whena 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.

SpaceX explosion as seen from airplane window.mariah.davenport//TMX

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 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.

Mariah Davenport and her view of the SpaceX explosion.mariah.davenport//TMX

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

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 duringa test flight in January, causing debris to fall over Turks and Caicos.

source: people.com