Home / Disasters and Accidents / Smoke Forces Emergency Evacuation of Passenger Jet
Smoke Forces Emergency Evacuation of Passenger Jet
16 May
Summary
- A regional jet made an emergency landing due to cabin smoke.
- All 76 passengers evacuated onto the tarmac safely.
- Congressman Tracey Mann was aboard the affected flight.
An American Eagle flight, en route to Kansas City from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, made an emergency landing on Friday. Smoke was reported in the cabin moments before the aircraft was scheduled to land. The pilot of flight 5318, operated by PSA Airlines, declared an emergency as the plane neared the runway.
Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot's urgent communication. While other aircraft circled, the CRJ-900 regional jet landed, and all 76 passengers were evacuated onto the tarmac. Among the passengers was Congressman Tracey Mann, who documented the evacuation via social media.
American Airlines stated that customer and crew safety is paramount and apologized for the passengers' experience. The Federal Aviation Administration has announced it will investigate the circumstances surrounding the smoke incident.
