Emergency landing for JetBlue flight in California

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Passengers were forced to evacuate a JetBlue airliner using emergency slides after the plane experienced engine problems and returned to the Long Beach, California, airport Thursday morning.

Airline spokesman Morgan Johnston said none of the 142 passengers and five crew members was injured during the evacuation, though three passengers were treated at the scene and one passenger was taken to a hospital for observation.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said flight 1416 was bound for Austin, Texas, when the crew declared an emergency due to a problem with one of two engines on the Airbus A320.

Johnston said the airline is still looking into the cause.

The airport’s main runway was closed for about two hours. The plane was towed to a hangar for further investigation, and air traffic resumed.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up