An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Turks and Caicos on Tuesday after the pilot reported that there was a fire in the cockpit, the engine was smoking and the flight had lost fuel.
However an American Airlines spokeswoman told the Associated Press that there was no fire on board and that the plane just made an emergency landing due to "mechanical issue related to one of the engines" and an indication of "low oil."
"There was no fire anywhere," spokeswoman Laura Masvidal told AP. A maintenance team was still evaluating the aircraft early on Tuesday.
The flight was heading from Port of Spain in Trinidad to Miami when it had to land in Turks and Caicos after the pilot asked for clearance. According to the British Caribbean territory's disaster management and emergencies department, there were 168 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 747,
"The pilot reported a fire in the cockpit and that the left engine was smoking and dripping fuel. The aircraft had one hour and thirty minutes of fuel on board," the department said according to the Miami Herald.
The plane landed without issue at about 10:20 a.m. It was towed to the gate. Videos show Turks and Caicos firefighters shooting water at the plane as the door was open. Passengers appeared to still be inside.
The passengers were evacuated and were kept in a secure area of the airport. They stayed in the departure lounge. The passengers were later put on a different flight which was scheduled to arrive in Miami at about 5:45 p.m.
"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience," Masvidal said according to the Miami Herald.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
