Passengers explained that they had “slashed the brakes” when the flight was aborted during takeoff.
Paul Bartlett, 64, competed in a 15:10 With Air flight to Tirana, Albania, on the Monday that occurred at London's Luton airport.
The airport said “all passengers disembarked safely” and that firefighters were present “as a precautionary measure.”
A Wizz Air spokesman said takeoff was cancelled due to “technical reasons” and confirmed that passengers boarded another flight on Monday evening.
“The health and safety of our passengers is our number one priority,” they said.
“The crew followed standard procedures and ensured that all passengers and crew members safely disembarked the aircraft while necessary checks were being made.”
Bartlett, who lives in Milton Keynes, said the plane was on the runway and “we were literally a second or two after taking off when there were heavy brakes.”
“There was no panic. It was a great stop by the pilots. The cabin crew was good,” he told the BBC.
He said passengers were told in an onboard announcement that they were believed to be “instrumental defects.”
“Everyone is completely fine. They're just checking the aircraft now,” he said.
A spokesman for Luton Airport in London said, “The aircraft are back to stand up in line with the industry's safety-first approach. There was no disruption to airport operations.”
The airport said the incident was not a reportable incident to the Air Force Accident Investigation Unit.