BoeingDrew
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The Story
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By JOHN McDONALD and JEFF COLLINS
The Orange County Register
Five passengers were treated at John Wayne Airport this morning and a sixth was taken to a hospital after a Southwest Airlines 737 jet filled with smoke and was forced to make an emergency landing, officials said.
Flight 506 had taken off from John Wayne Airport bound for Oakland with 108 passengers and five crew members aboard. But the jetliner turned around about three miles out after the pilot reported that he had smoke in the cabin.
It touched down at 8:24 a.m., pulled to the gate, and the plane was evacuated.
Officials said the smoke was generated by a leak.
Local authorities said an auxiliary power unit leaked fluid onto a hot piece of machinery, and the pilot reported having smoke in the cockpit.
Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said a ventilation unit leaked fluid onto an engine, pumping smoke into the cabin.
Paramedics treated five passengers at the scene, and one woman in her 60s was transported to Anaheim Memorial Hospital. Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Steve Miller said the woman was not badly hurt, but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Ann McCarley, a spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport, said the incident would be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
"We’re thankful we’re down safe," said Janie Merkle, 42, of Irvine, one of the passengers. "We had just taken off, just over the ocean when we saw smoke coming from the cockpit. We smelled fumes. The flight attendants told us that the pilot knew what was happening and he was handling it."
A man she identified as the pilot addressed passengers as she was being interviewed on her cell phone.
"I had my hands full but I told the flight attendants we weren’t burning but to prepare for the emergency landing," the pilot could be heard telling passengers. "We landed backwards (approaching from the ocean). We went up and came right back without going around."
Eichinger said all the passengers but the woman taken to the hospital boarded another plane and continued their trip to Oakland.
"My husband and I are going for a little business and a little pleasure," Merkle said before reboarding. "He has some business and then we’ll go spend time in the wine country. That was some flight; I was really shook up."
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I saw this story on A.net and thought I would post it for you guys to read.
[ QUOTE ]
By JOHN McDONALD and JEFF COLLINS
The Orange County Register
Five passengers were treated at John Wayne Airport this morning and a sixth was taken to a hospital after a Southwest Airlines 737 jet filled with smoke and was forced to make an emergency landing, officials said.
Flight 506 had taken off from John Wayne Airport bound for Oakland with 108 passengers and five crew members aboard. But the jetliner turned around about three miles out after the pilot reported that he had smoke in the cabin.
It touched down at 8:24 a.m., pulled to the gate, and the plane was evacuated.
Officials said the smoke was generated by a leak.
Local authorities said an auxiliary power unit leaked fluid onto a hot piece of machinery, and the pilot reported having smoke in the cockpit.
Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said a ventilation unit leaked fluid onto an engine, pumping smoke into the cabin.
Paramedics treated five passengers at the scene, and one woman in her 60s was transported to Anaheim Memorial Hospital. Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Steve Miller said the woman was not badly hurt, but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Ann McCarley, a spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport, said the incident would be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
"We’re thankful we’re down safe," said Janie Merkle, 42, of Irvine, one of the passengers. "We had just taken off, just over the ocean when we saw smoke coming from the cockpit. We smelled fumes. The flight attendants told us that the pilot knew what was happening and he was handling it."
A man she identified as the pilot addressed passengers as she was being interviewed on her cell phone.
"I had my hands full but I told the flight attendants we weren’t burning but to prepare for the emergency landing," the pilot could be heard telling passengers. "We landed backwards (approaching from the ocean). We went up and came right back without going around."
Eichinger said all the passengers but the woman taken to the hospital boarded another plane and continued their trip to Oakland.
"My husband and I are going for a little business and a little pleasure," Merkle said before reboarding. "He has some business and then we’ll go spend time in the wine country. That was some flight; I was really shook up."
[/ QUOTE ]
I saw this story on A.net and thought I would post it for you guys to read.