Passengers on a JetBlue flight endured an “intense” few minutes Saturday night after a smoke alert on board forced pilots to dive 30,000 feet in 10 minutes to make an emergency landing.
“Some passengers reported hearing a loud bang. We went down incredibly quickly … Everyone was starting to panic. Some people were crying. It was a little intense for a few minutes,” passenger Seth Odell told NBC News Sunday.
It was around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday that the plane that had left New York for San Diego was suddenly diverted to Salina, Kansas, after the pilots were alerted to the potential presence of smoke in the baggage hold, according to the American media.
Without wanting to take any risks, the pilots of Flight 1189 immediately initiated an emergency landing, causing a descent of more than 30,000 feet (around 9.1 km in height) in less than 10 minutes, according to data from Flightradar24, reported by KAKE.
For many of the 130 passengers on board, the steep descent would have made them fear the worst, with several reportedly crying in their seats. Despite everything, the landing would have been carried out without a hitch.
“They descended safely and landed without incident,” a JetBlue spokesperson said in an email to NBC News.
Once on land, authorities reportedly determined that the smoke indication received by the pilots was nothing more than a “false indication,” the spokesman said in his statement.
Furthermore, the plane did not have any major problems, according to Salina Fire Department Battalion Chief Derrick Herzog, who suggested the problem could simply be electrical since the warning light was on, he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it has opened an investigation, according to NBC News.
