Five people were injured Monday when an Allegiant Airline plane departing St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport made an emergency landing after the crew reported smoke.
The plane left the Bay area at 4:28 p.m. and was heading to Hagerstown, Md.
“Approximately eight minutes into the flight, the crew reported smoke in the cabin and returned to PIE, landing safely at 4:52. Upon landing, the crew acted swiftly to deploy emergency slides for passengers to deplane as quickly and safely as possible,” Allegiant said in a statement. “Passengers are receiving full refunds for the flight as well as $200 off vouchers. Hotel stay will be provided for passengers that do not reside in the area. We are currently working to reschedule the flight to tomorrow.”
Some passengers said they could smell smoke, while others never detected it.
When they landed, the crew inflated the emergency slides.
Passenger Rob Adair said screaming flight attendants added to panic as people scrambled to get off. “I felt that they could been a little more professional about in that manner (because) they were pretty much scaring people and pushing them out the plane,” Adair said.
Four passengers and one flight attendant sustained injuries. News Channel 8 saw two passengers hauled out on stretchers and placed into ambulances.
“The pilot came on (and) said, ‘Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.’ Then the slides went down, and everyone kind of disbanded,” Alyssa Potter said.
Some passengers evacuated by sliding down a wing. “It’s a little bit of a drop to that blacktop. A few people did fall. A couple of children were crying and such, but all of the passengers were just wonderful helping each other out,” Pattie Dell said.
In the terminal, passengers were given pizzas and drinks and told they’d get full refunds and $200 vouchers for future flights.
“I hate flying anyway, but the voucher is no good. We’re not flying again. We’re driving,” Potter said.
Allegiant will fly the passengers to Hagerstown Tuesday afternoon.
