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A SkyWest flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing minutes after takeoff Monday night when pilots mistakenly thought someone was trying to break into the cockpit.
SkyWest Flight 6569, operated by American Airlines, had taken off from Eppley Airfield in Omaha around 7:45 p.m. when the pilots declared an emergency and returned to the airport.
communication mix-up caused confusion
In a statement, SkyWest said the plane “returned to Omaha out of an abundance of caution after experiencing communication problems with flight crew Mike.”
An American Airlines spokesperson clarified that the incident was caused by a technical error in the intercom system used by pilots and flight attendants.
“The intercom that the pilot and flight attendant used to talk to each other was accidentally left on,” the spokesperson said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the cabin crew, unable to contact the cockpit, began banging on the cockpit door to get the pilots’ attention.
Pilots were afraid of breaking the cockpit
The unexpected explosion caused pilots to fear an attempted intrusion into the cockpit, forcing them to declare an emergency and return to Omaha.
Airport emergency dispatchers initially received reports of “people trying to get into the cockpit” and called officials to meet the plane upon arrival.
However, moments later, the dispatcher canceled the alert, saying, “Advised there is no emergency… there was a staffing issue.”
the flight started safely
After the misunderstanding was resolved, no injuries or threats were reported and the aircraft was inspected. The flight later continued to Los Angeles without further incident.
SkyWest and American Airlines both confirmed that passenger safety was never at risk, stressing that the decision to return was made solely “out of an abundance of caution.”
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