A SkyWest flight to Los Angeles International Airport became a nail-biting experience for flyers on Monday after a technical problem was mistaken for an attempted hijacking. Flight 6469, operated by an Embraer ERJ 175, took off from Omaha's Eppley Airfield but soon landed back after pilots declared an emergency, abc7.com reported.
The ordeal began when the pilots were said to have lost communication with the cabin crew minutes after takeoff. Crew members were seen pounding on the cockpit door in a bid to get the attention of the pilots. Upon hearing the pounding and experiencing silence on the interphone, the pilots thought someone was trying to break into the cockpit.
“We weren't sure if something was going on with the airplane, so that's why we're coming back here”, the captain explained, as abc7.com reported. "It's gonna be a little bit. We have to figure out what's going on," the captain continued.
FAA confirms technical issue
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) subsequently stated that the reason for the incident was a technical issue with the interphone system of the aircraft. According to the Hindustan Times, " SkyWest Flight 6569 landed safely after returning to Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, around 7:45 p.m. local time on Monday, Oct. 20, after declaring an emergency when the pilot could not contact the cabin crew," the FAA stated. " After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the interphone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door," the statement said.
Passengers describe a sudden U-turn
The passengers have termed the sudden turn of the flight back as a " very hard U-turn." ESPN basketball reporter Brian Windhorst, who was seated in the third row, remarked, "We make a very hard U-turn. He said, "That wasn’t normal. There was no announcement," the New York Times quoted.
Emergency response on the ground
Video footage taken by a passenger captured police cars lined up on the runway at Omaha's Eppley Airfield, as officers boarded the plane after the emergency landing. The plane had travelled only about 40 miles of its 1,300-mile trip before it headed back, flight tracking site FlightAware confirmed.
The flight continued its journey to Los Angeles after the crisis was over, with passengers left relieved but shaken by the sudden scare.
