JetBlue Flight Forced into Emergency Landing in Las Vegas
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Scott Olson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A mechanical problem on a JetBlue flight from Las Vegas to New York this weekend led to an emergency landing, grounding 135 rattled passengers.
JetBlue confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that the captain of Flight 194 declared an emergency landing on Sunday because of a “mechanical indication” in the cockpit. Officials at Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport said the aircraft had hydraulic problems in the air and had to return to the airport.
One passenger said the plane started to lurch from side to side and bounce.
“I’ve never had that kind of hydroplaning feel,” passenger Tom Mizer told ABC News Radio.
The movement frightened passengers, many of whom got sick.
“Everybody on the plane started to get really nervous. People were starting to throw up,” Mizer said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of sustained tension and fear in my life,” he added.
A flight attendant reportedly walked down the aisle during the aborted flight, telling passengers to look at her smile to see that she was not scared.
Once it had landed, the aircraft had to be towed to the gate because the front wheels of the plane had become inoperable, according to officials at McCarran Airport.
“On Sunday, June 17, shortly after takeoff, the captain of Flight 194 from Las Vegas to New York’s JFK declared an emergency due to the loss of yellow hydraulics. The flight returned to McCarran Airport, where it landed safely at 7:37 p.m. local,” JetBlue said in a statement. “A replacement aircraft accommodated customers for a 10:13 p.m. local departure, arriving at JFK at 5:59 a.m. ET.”
“JetBlue takes all incidences seriously, and the safety of our customers and crewmembers is our number one priority. The actions the crew took in response to this event truly represent who we are and our core value — safety,” the statement read.
The flight was later scheduled to leave McCarran at 9:40 p.m., and landed in New York at 5:33 a.m. local time.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio