American Eagle flight headed to Charlotte makes emergency landing in Virginia
A Charlotte-bound flight in American Airlines’ network made an emergency landing Sunday afternoon due to a possible mechanical problem, the company said.
American Eagle Flight 5852, operated by Piedmont Airlines, left the Newport News / Williamsburg International Airport around 11:30 a.m. for Charlotte. It was diverted to Richmond International Airport, just outside of Richmond in Sandston, Virginia. The plane landed at 12:17 p.m.
The flight landed safely with 47 customers and three crew members. Passengers were placed on other flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and their final destinations.
The Embraer E145 aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by a maintenance team, according to an American Airlines spokesperson. They are trying to find out what caused the problem.
Air Safety concerns
Airline safety has been on travelers’ minds in the wake of a Washington D.C. crash in January that killed 67 people, and several reported incidents in recent weeks.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in the nation’s capital. All of the 60 passengers and a Charlotte-based flight crew died on the commercial plane. Three people inside the military chopper also were killed.
On March 14, two people were killed in a private plane crash at 7:45 a.m., near the Pitt-Greenville Airport in North Carolina, several minutes after taking off for Vero Beach, Florida.
Last month, a Delta flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with 76 passengers and four crew members crashed and turned upside down on a runway in Toronto. Everyone survived that Feb. 17 incident, but 21 people were treated for injuries.
About CLT
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the seventh busiest airport in the world for arrivals and departures, according to Airports Council International. Most of those flights are provided by American Airlines. CLT is the second largest hub for the Fort Worth, Texas-based company and accounts for about 90% of all flights out of the airport.
