A flight bound for LA had to turn around after the pilot mistakenly thought passengers were trying to break into the cockpit.
The plane took off from Omaha, Nebraska, at 4:40 p.m. Monday, but returned just 20 minutes later, according to Flight conscious.
American Airlines Flight 6469 suffered an intercom system malfunction, meaning the plane’s pilots could only hear static over the communications device, an American Airlines spokesperson said ABC News.
Meanwhile, the pilots heard hammering on the door, leading them to believe passengers were trying to gain access to the cockpit.
This rumor was repeated on social media, reports KTL.
In the interest of passenger safety, the pilots returned the Embraer ETJ 175 aircraft to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.
Upon landing, the plane’s captain apologized for the unexpected landing.
“We weren’t sure if there was anything wrong with the plane, so that’s why we’re coming back here,” the captain said. “It must be a little bit.
“We need to find out what’s going on.”
Passenger videos showed emergency responders making their way to the plane after it landed back on the tarmac.
Officers later boarded the plane but concluded that the banging on the door had actually been the flight crew.
Shortly after the incident, Omaha Airport released a brief statement informing passengers of the investigation.
“There was no safety-related incident at Eppley Airfield this evening,” the statement read.
A day earlier, another plane en route to Los Angeles was forced to land after a smoky smell was detected in the cabin.
Delta Flight 898 was diverted to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where it landed with two pilots, five crew and 219 passengers.
Although authorities have not shared details about the origin of the odor, a Delta Airlines spokesperson said CBS News Atlanta.
“The safety of our customers and people is of the utmost importance, which is why our flight crew followed standard procedures to return to Atlanta after a smoky odor was detected in the cabin,” the Delta spokesperson said. “We apologize to our customers for the delay to their travels.”
And just a week earlier, a plane headed to LAX was diverted because its windshield cracked in mid-air.
The United Airlines flight lasted just 50 minutes after a flight to Denver before pilots decided to land in Salt Lake City.
The plane landed safely, with the passengers disembarking safely and boarding a second plane to Los Angeles. They were delayed about six hours.
The independent has reached out to Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines for comment.
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