NTSB preliminary report details fiery but safe emergency landing of a Frontier Airlines plane

An electrical strategy malfunctioned, nan autopilot discontinue and immoderate power communications were disrupted aboard a Frontier Airlines level earlier nan pilots made a fiery but safe emergency landing successful Las Vegas earlier this month

LAS VEGAS -- Federal investigators opportunity an electrical strategy malfunctioned, nan autopilot discontinue and immoderate power communications were disrupted aboard a Frontier Airlines level soon earlier nan pilots made a fiery but safe emergency landing successful Las Vegas earlier this month.

No 1 among nan 190 passengers and 7 unit members was injured Oct. 5 connected Flight 1326 from San Diego, according to a preliminary study released Monday by nan National Transportation Safety Board.

Federal investigators opportunity unit members detected fumes of burning rubber, a chemic aliases ray smoke, nan cockpit unit donned oxygen masks and declared an emergency astir 19 minutes earlier nan level landed. Display screens, power and transponders stopped functioning while nan aviator and copilot conducted emergency procedures, nan NTSB said.

Witnesses reported flames erupted and tires connected nan Airbus A321-211 craft burst as it landed astatine 3:10 p.m., trailing a plume of fume down a runway astatine Harry Reid International Airport, according the report. But nan occurrence was quickly doused by firefighters. Passengers were not instantly evacuated.

Video recordings and photos included pinch nan study showed occurrence and fume billowing from nan main landing cogwheel earlier nan craft came to a extremity connected nan runway. Damage was constricted to landing gear, wheels, tires and brakes, nan study said.

Crew members said they were amazed to study from firefighters that a occurrence had been extinguished successful nan correct engine. “There had been nary motor occurrence indications successful nan cockpit,” nan study said.

Aircraft information monitors identified a responsibility successful a instrumentality that cools craft power systems astir nan aforesaid clip nan odor was detected, according to nan report.

The formation information recorder stopped signaling astir 9 minutes earlier nan level landed aft electrical powerfulness was trim according to emergency procedures, but nan cockpit sound recorder remained operational. Both devices are being studied by nan NTSB successful Washington. A last study could return astir a twelvemonth to complete.

KLAS-TV successful Las Vegas reported that respective passengers person revenge a suit against Frontier Airlines, alleging they were “stranded wrong nan sweltering smoke-filled craft for astir an hour" earlier passengers were evacuated.