Smoke in cockpit force American Airline emergency landing at L.A. airport

Passengers were evacuated Tuesday morning from an American Airlines jet that made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport when smoke was detected in the cockpit.

Passengers were evacuated Tuesday morning from an American Airlines jet that made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport when smoke was detected in the cockpit.

The Boeing 757 was bound for Honolulu but turned back for LAX after the pilot reported the smoke, said Paul Haney, deputy airport director. American Flight 31 landed safely about 9:30 a.m., said Ian Gregor, an Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

Passengers and crew exited the plane on emergency chutes. The crew in the cockpit donned oxygen masks when they saw the smoke, said Haney.

Firefighters were on the tarmac to assist with the exit.

Both south runways were closed during the evacuation and later one was reopened.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told CNN that the pilot requested an emergency landing about an hour into the flight after crew members reported the smell of smoke in the cabin. He said firefighters were using thermal imaging equipment but had not detected a fire on the plane.

Two minor injuries have been reported among the seven crew members and 150 passengers on board.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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