An American Airlines crew member has been hospitalized after a plane had to be evacuated in North Carolina. Crew detected smoke coming from the plane, forcing an evacuation.
It ended with a flight attendant in the hospital. Crew and audience aboard had to flee the aircraft at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The plan was intended for Columbia, South Carolina and had 50 passengers and three crew on board. However, just before it was set to take off, flight 5720 ended up experiencing an emergency. Crew detected smoke on the aircraft.
Fortunately, the flight attendant didn't suffer any serious injuries. However, they had to stay at the hospital for a precautionary evaluation. There are few details right now how the flight attendant experienced injuries. However, the fire department showed up on the scene and cleared the aircraft. The American Airlines plane then underwent an inspection to determine exactly what happened.
American Airlines Crew Member Hospitalized
All of the chaos caused the flight to be delayed for nearly three hours. American Airlines ended up getting a replacement aircraft to complete its flight path. According to Piednmont Airlines the plane, which was intended to complete the American Airlines route had mechanical issues.
"We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this caused," the airline stated.
It's not the first time that something like this happened. Recently, Flight CX811, an Airbus A350, filled with smoke after it left Boston for Hong Kong. It was a dramatic scene that could have ended worse since the plane was in the air.
"Initially, I thought it was, like, maybe it's just the altitude air difference," passenger Emily Chen told WCVB. "And then I was like, 'I can't breathe. What's happening?'"
"I said a few prayers up, I was like, 'Dear Lord, let's all get somewhere in one piece,'" she added. Exactly what caused the smoke in that instant remains unknown.
"We [started] the flight, and I just saw a lot of smoke around me," passenger Hoachen Wu told WCVB.
