KANSAS CITY, MO — An American Eagle regional jet carrying 76 passengers, including a U.S. congressman, made a dramatic emergency landing and tarmac evacuation at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) on Friday afternoon after smoke began filling the cabin.
American Eagle flight 5318, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by PSA Airlines, was wrapping up a flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) when the crew detected smoke.
According to air traffic control audio, the pilot urgently declared an emergency as the aircraft was just two miles from touching down, stating, “Bluestreak 5318, declaring an emergency. We’re landing.”
“Everybody Get Off the Plane Now”
The aircraft landed safely at approximately 3:35 PM local time. Immediately following touchdown, the captain ordered an urgent evacuation. Passengers deployed the emergency exits, with some climbing out onto the wings and fleeing onto the taxiway as emergency response vehicles swarmed the aircraft.
Among the passengers on board was U.S. Representative Tracey Mann, a Republican representing Kansas’s 1st congressional district. Following the evacuation, Rep. Mann posted photos and video from the tarmac showing passengers standing on the airfield as first responders inspected the plane.
“There was smoke on our aircraft and so we landed and are now sitting on the tarmac, everyone evacuated the aircraft, seems to be OK,” Mann said in a video shared to social media. “Really appreciate our first responders, folks from fire, they do a fantastic job every day.”
Flight Summary:
- Flight Number: American Eagle Flight 5318 (Operated by PSA Airlines)
- Aircraft Type: Bombardier CRJ-900
- Route: Washington D.C. (DCA) to Kansas City (MCI)
- Manifest: 76 passengers, 4 crew members
- Incidents: Cabin smoke, emergency landing, and taxiway evacuation
- Injuries: None reported
Investigation Underway
Airport operations were briefly halted for about 15 minutes while Airport Fire and Rescue cleared the scene. No injuries were reported among the 76 passengers and four crew members. Passengers were subsequently boarded onto buses and transported safely to the terminal.
In a statement following the incident, American Airlines apologized for the disruption: “The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we are sorry for their experience.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed it will launch a full investigation to determine what caused the smoke to enter the cabin.
