JetBlue Flight Emergency Landing in Kansas Due to False Smoke Alarm

A JetBlue flight executed an emergency landing in Kansas due to a false smoke alert in the cargo hold. The incident occurred on Saturday during Flight 1189, which was traveling from New York to San Diego. After the crew received a smoke or fire alert, the plane descended quickly and landed at Salina Regional Airport.

Passenger Seth Odell reported that the pilot informed passengers of the alert, stating, "The pilot came on [the intercom] and let us know that he was seeing an alert for smoke in the cargo bay." Some passengers heard a loud bang, causing concern. The plane landed safely within 10 minutes after the alert, and the situation was handled calmly by the crew.

The Salina Fire Department arrived shortly after landing and helped safely evacuate all 130 passengers and crew. No injuries were reported. Salina Fire Battalion Chief Derrick Herzog said the cockpit indicator lights had triggered the alarm, but there were no serious issues. "The issue appears to be an electrical one," Herzog noted, though engineers are still investigating the cause.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident. However, the National Transportation Safety Board did not immediately comment. Odell later shared that the pilot reassured passengers that no actual fire was detected, even though a fire suppressant had been used as a precaution.

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