Southwest Aircraft Pressured to Flip Round for Emergency Touchdown in Houston

Passengers needed to evacuate a Southwest Airways aircraft at Houston’s William P. Passion Worldwide Airport on Thursday, April 17, the airline, the Houston Airports and the Houston Hearth Division (HFD) stated in separate statements obtained by PEOPLE.

Southwest Airways Flight 3006 first departed from the Passion airport en path to Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, Mexico. However round 11:15 a.m., the aircraft started to return to the airport, reporting an engine hearth, HFD stated.

Round 11:30 a.m., the aircraft landed safely “and was in a position to cease safely on a taxiway,” per the Houston Airports’ assertion. “Slides on the plane have been deployed so passengers might evacuate safely.”

“HFD Airport Rescue Firefighters (ARFF) have been in place because the aircraft landed,” and it was extinguished “inside minutes of the aircraft’s touchdown,” the HFD stated. Including {that a} small grass hearth close to the runway was additionally extinguished. 

Not one of the 134 passengers wanted medical consideration. They have been then shuttled off the taxiway and again to the terminal. “Southwest is working to accommodate its Clients to their closing vacation spot,” the airline’s assertion learn. 

“We recognize the professionalism of our Flight Crew in responding to this case. Nothing is extra essential to Southwest than the Security of our Clients and Staff,” the assertion concluded. 

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.