LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - A JetBlue airliner experienced engine problems and returned to the Long Beach Airport on Thursday after a short flight that ended with passengers evacuating on emergency slides.
None of the 142 passengers and five crew members was injured, though one passenger was taken to a hospital for observation, airline spokesman Morgan Johnston said.
Flight 1416 was bound for Austin, Texas, when the crew declared an emergency due to a problem with one of its two engines, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
According to the tracking website FlightAware, the Airbus A320 took off at 9:17 a.m. and landed at 9:30 a.m.
The airport’s main runway was closed due to the evacuation; eventually the plane was towed to a hangar for further investigation and air traffic resumed.
Emergency landings due to mechanical problems are not rare.
Johnston said the airline is still looking into the cause of the plane’s problem.
Long Beach is on the south Los Angeles County coast.
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