Planes Making Emergency Landings in Vermont

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Rescue crews were called to Burlington International Airport twice Wednesday as airplanes made emergency landings. In the first incident, at about 6:15 a.m., a glitch in a United Airlines regional jet's alarm system prompted a plane that just departed the airport to return and make an emergency landing, according to an airline representative. Airport officials initially reported one of the airplane's engines failed, but United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson later said that wasn't the case. "There was an indicator light that erroneously alerted the captain to smoke in the cargo hold," Johnson said Wednesday afternoon. "The crew followed standard procedure, which is to land the plane and get it checked out. We confirmed that there was no smoke on the airplane." The United Express flight, operated by Mesa Airlines, departed for Chicago at about 6 a.m., turned around minutes later and landed safely, but not before alarming dozens of passengers on board and drawing a response from emergency crews throughout Chittenden County. There were 66 passengers and four crew members aboard.

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The emergency prompted the airport to declare a Phase 5, its highest level of alert. Weiss and Wells rescheduled their flight for 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Other passengers booked flights to Chicago, and arrived in the city Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said. The second incident, which happened at about 3:25 p.m., involved a Delta Airlines flight from Detroit to Quebec, Canada, that made an emergency landing at the South Burlington airport after a banging noise was reported on board, an airport official said. The plane, carrying 36 people, landed safely shortly before 4 p.m. Arrangements for the passengers to continue their journey were unclear Wednesday afternoon.