By Maribel Velazquez
Moments of tension were experienced by dozens of passengers on a flight American Airlines after the crew reported smoke in the cabin minutes before landing in Kansas City, forcing an emergency landing and evacuation of the aircraft on the runway.
The incident occurred on American Eagle Flight 5318, operated by PSA Airlines, which was flying between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Kansas City. Among the passengers was Republican Congressman Tracey Mannwho shared images and videos of the moment after the emergency.
“There was smoke in our aircraft”
According to information released by the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot declared an emergency when the plane was a few kilometers from landing.
“Bluestreak 5318, we declare an emergency. We are going to land”the pilot is heard saying in air traffic control recordings broadcast by Broadcastify.
After landing, all 76 passengers were evacuated onto the runway as emergency crews surrounded the CRJ-900 regional jet.
Congressman Tracey Mann posted a video from the track where he recounted what happened.
“There was smoke in our aircraft, so we landed and now we are sitting on the tarmac. We are very grateful to our first responders and to the fire department,” he said.
FAA will investigate the incident
Until now no injuries reportedalthough the FAA confirmed that it will open an investigation to determine what caused the smoke inside the cabin.
For its part, American Airlines issued a brief statement assuring that “the safety of our customers and team members is our top priority.”
The incident occurs amid growing attention on aviation safety in the country, after several recent reports of technical failures and emergencies on commercial flights.
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