RDU emergency | American Airlines flight makes emergency landing

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – An American Airlines flight bound for Connecticut had to make an emergency landing at RDU Airport because there was smoke inside the aircraft.

AA2392 made an emergency landing shortly before 9 a.m. The Boeing 737 had to be towed to the gate so that the passengers could disembark.

The runways at RDU were reopened after a brief pause to allow the flight to land. American Airlines responded to ABC11 regarding the emergency landing:

“American Airlines flight 2392 from Charlotte to Windsor Locks, Connecticut, was diverted to Raleigh-Durham due to reports of a possible odor in the cabin,” American Airlines said. “The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. Customers will be re-routed to BDL on a replacement aircraft shortly. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

There were tense moments for the passengers on board the flight.

“People were very scared,” said passenger Bob Lauditi. “They were asking around if cell phones were working so they could text families and relatives and let them know what was going on. It was scary.”

Some passengers reported hearing a loud bang, followed by a strong smell of smoke. Then the pilot told everyone that they would have to make an emergency landing.

“I didn’t see any smoke, but the smell was horrible,” said passenger Sara Doyle.

A passenger, shaken and emotional by the incident, said she texted her husband and three children to tell them she loved them. She said she did not know what would happen next.

You never know and they didn’t announce it right away. I just knew something was wrong,” Shanalle Lewis said.

Lewis said she was grateful things had not gotten worse.

“It was an abrupt landing,” she said. “They told us the fire department would be there and everything. A few minutes later they said everything was OK. That’s when I breathed a sigh of relief.”

Some passengers asked why the pilot and crew took so long to inform them of what had happened.

“It’s an iron rule that you fly the jet first and then talk to the passengers,” said John Nance, an aviation analyst for ABC News.

It may seem like there are more emergency landings, but Nance says the difference is that they are reported.

“It may seem that there are more precautionary emergency landings, but those are not the real numbers. In fact, the number is about the same as it has been for the last ten or twenty years,” he said.

“Safety is our top priority,” the airline said. “Our pilots are highly qualified and well trained for a range of flight scenarios. We thank our crew members for their professionalism and tireless commitment to the safety of our customers.”

The passengers applauded the pilots at the gate. The pilots informed the passengers at the gate that it was probably an engine problem.

American Airlines told ABC11 that “all information received at the scene is preliminary, unconfirmed and speculation at this time. The cause of the odor remains under investigation.”

The flight eventually landed safely at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.