Faulty Fan Forces Smoky Jet to Land
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RENO — An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration determined that a burned-out ventilation fan motor caused the smoke in the passenger cabin that forced an Eastern Airlines jet to return Sunday to the airport here only minutes after takeoff, Rich Peacock, spokesman for the Reno Cannon International Airport, said.
Eastern Flight 334, bound for Las Vegas, Kansas City and Newark, took off shortly after 6:55 a.m. (PDT) and was back on the ground in Reno by 7:03 a.m. There were no injuries.
The smoke was discovered by passengers. Flight attendants then notified the pilot, who immediately decided to return. At no time were flames observed, and Peacock said it was unclear whether there was any serious danger of fire breaking out.
One of the passengers aboard the flight, Fred Hinners of Reno, said there was no panic when the smoke was discovered in the plane’s midsection. “There was some alarm, but everybody remained basically calm,” he said.
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