United Airlines flight makes emergency landing after 'open door' alert
A United Airlines flight reportedly made an emergency landing on Wednesday (local time) at Tampa International Airport in Florida, United States (US), after an open door indicator light came on. Flight number 2434 was reportedly en route to Chicago from Florida's Sarasota when the pilots noticed the open door indicator light and contacted the airport authorities.
Flight had over 120 passengers on board
As a safety measure after the alert from the pilots, the flight was diverted to the nearest airport for an unscheduled landing. It was also learned that more than 120 passengers were evacuated from the plane while fire crews responded to the alert. The jet, an Airbus A319, took off from Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport at 3:42pm and landed in Tampa at 4:35pm, according to flight tracking website Flight Aware.
United Airlines spokesperson reacts to imagery landing
A United Airlines spokesperson stated that the emergency landing was made "as a precaution this afternoon to address a possible mechanical issue." The airline official did not clarify if the issue was related to the open door light. However, a Tampa airport spokesperson claimed this was the reason the pilots gave when they requested the landing.
Video of United Airlines flight making emergency landing
Recent aviation scare involving Alaska Airlines
The development came just days after the alarming incident in which a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines aircraft mid-flight, supposedly due to some loose bolts. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane had to make an emergency landing on Friday in the US state of Oregon after an outer section of the plane ripped apart. The plane carrying 177 flyers landed safely, and no injuries were reported.
Alaska Airlines door blowout mishap 'our mistake': Boeing CEO
Amid the uproar over the incident, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted the company's error and vowed "complete transparency" as they tackled the issue. At a recent safety meeting, Calhoun stated, "We're going to approach this, No. 1, acknowledging our mistake. We're going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way," he added. On Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to be grounded until they were thoroughly inspected.
