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Southwest Airways Flight Makes Pressing Touchdown in Ontario After Smoke Odor Detected Mid-Flight
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Southwest Airways flight WN984, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, made an emergency touchdown at Ontario Worldwide Airport after crew members reported a “smell of smoke” within the cabin. Based on the San Francisco Chronicle, the plane, registered as N1807U, departed from gate D7 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) at 19:20, barely behind its scheduled departure time of 19:05. After taxiing to runway 7L, the flight took off at 19:31, following the standard eastward departure protocol from Phoenix.
Because the plane climbed to 38,000 toes, it adopted a northwest trajectory towards its vacation spot, San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO). Nonetheless, at roughly 19:50, the flight started to descend and alter its course. Flight information from Flightradar24 signifies the plane modified course over Victorville and turned southeast, flying over the San Bernardino Nationwide Forest earlier than persevering with its descent. At 20:24, the aircraft aligned for its closing strategy and landed safely on runway 26R at 20:29.
Although the precise supply of the smoke odor stays unclear, officers suspect it might have originated from close by wildfires alongside the flight path. Based on CNN, the Line Hearth, which broke out close to the bottom of the San Bernardino Mountains, had quickly grown by Saturday night, scorching over 17,200 acres and threatening round 4,800 properties. With 0% containment on the time of the incident, the wildfire’s smoke seemingly contributed to the odor detected onboard.
Southwest Airways responded swiftly, guaranteeing the protection of passengers and crew by dispatching a substitute plane to finish the journey to San Francisco.