A JetBlue flight transporting passengers to San Diego diverted from its planned route and made an emergency landing at a regional airport in central Kansas Saturday evening.
The Airbus plane flying from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport had landed due to smoke in the cockpit, a representative of the Salina Airport Authority told KSNW, the NBC affiliate in Wichita, Kansas.
"The pilot came on and let us know that he was seeing an alert for smoke in the cargo bay," said Seth Odell, a passenger on the flight. "Some passengers did report hearing a loud bang, too," he added.
Fire crews from Salina Fire Department were dispatched to the airfield at 6:20 p.m. CT Saturday evening, about 10 minutes prior to the flight landing, according to Salina Fire Battalion Chief Derrick Herzog.
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Odell shared that while descending, some condensation mist came into the plane through its vents which had other passengers questioning whether it was smoke or not. Once the flight landed, Odell was relieved, he told NBC 7.
All 130 passengers and crewmembers onboard the flight were offloaded safely without injury, Herzog added.
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Passengers were waiting for a new plane to fly to them before continuing to San Diego, according to the Salina Airport Authority.
NBC 7 reached out to JetBlue on Saturday and provided the following statement on Sunday:
"On Saturday, September 21, JetBlue flight 1189 diverted to Salina, Kansas, when the pilots received an alert that there might be smoke in the cargo hold, descending safely and landing without incident. Upon inspection, we determined the smoke indication presented to our pilots was a false indication."
JetBlue also responded to passengers via social media.
"Since this isn't an airport we service, it may take a little more time for plans to be implemented," the airline responded to Odell's post on X. "You'll need to wait for an airport crewmember for assistance. Please know that decisions are all made with safety as our number one priority. We appreciate your patience," it added.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement about the incident:
"JetBlue Airways Flight 1189 landed safely at Salina Regional Airport in Kansas around 6:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, Sept. 21, after the crew reported smoke in the cargo area. The Airbus A320 departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and was headed to San Diego International Airport. The FAA will investigate. Please contact the airline for more information."
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information arrives.
