Tuesday, Jun. 17, 2008

Modesto flight makes emergency landing

Cockpit fills with smoke, scared passengers OK

A United Express flight from Modesto to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Bakersfield on Monday morning after the cockpit and passenger compartment filled with smoke.

Flight 5769 landed safely in Bakersfield about 11 a.m., an hour after it left Modesto. All 30 passengers aboard the Embraer 120 propjet were evacuated safely from the plane.

Marissa Snow, a spokeswoman for SkyWest Airlines, which operates the United Express flights from Modesto, said the airline is investigating what caused the smoke.

Passengers were offered a bus ride to Los Angeles or another flight, according to Bryan Austin of Modesto, a passenger on the flight.

Austin said the smoke filled the passenger compartment within seconds. The pilot quickly lowered the plane's altitude and decompressed the cabin to clear the smoke. The plane was on the ground within 10 minutes, Austin said.

The incident was scary for the passengers, Austin said.

"There was 10 minutes of not knowing what was going on. My first thought was of my two boys. You don't know how serious it's going to get," he said.

"I'm a man of faith, and you start praying."

The pilot and co-pilot talked to the passengers after the plane landed, and they apologized for the inconvenience, Austin said.

Austin was on a business trip to Los Angeles. He opted to wait for another plane to finish the trip.

"All's well that ends well. I'm glad to be on the ground," he said.

United Express flights to Los Angeles are scheduled to stop June 28. The cost of fuel and the reluctance of Modesto passengers to pay more for tickets make the flights unprofitable, according to airline officials.