Smoke forces plane to return to SFO

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Dec 21, 2007 | by Mark Abramson

SFO -- Some 350 airline passengers had their trips to Hawaii delayed Thursday morning when their plane was forced to return to San Francisco International Airport after smoke appeared in the cockpit, airport and federal aviation officials said.

United Airlines Flight 73 to Honolulu left SFO at 9:15 a.m. and was about an hour into its flight when the pilot decided to head back, United Airlines spokesman Jeff Kovick said.

"Safety is our No. 1 concern," Kovick said. "Our captain proceeded with caution by returning to the airfield. It was the captain's decision."

The Boeing 777 aircraft, which was carrying 348 passengers, returned to SFO at 11:39 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration officials said. No injuries were reported.

Kovick said he had not heard anything about smoke on the plane and said that a possible electrical problem forced Flight 73's return to SFO. But SFO spokesman Mike McCarron and FAA officials said there was a report of smoke in the cockpit, but that there were no flames.

Fire crews were called to the airport to stand by while the jet landed.

Aircraft that may be in trouble get priority treatment from air traffic controllers, McCarron said.

"We do what the pilot asks," said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman.

When such a plane lands, fire officials at the scene check with the pilot to make sure everything is OK and then follow the jet to the gate as a precaution, McCarron said. The runways do not have to be cleared for such an incident, he said.

Incidents such as Thursday's occur relatively infrequently and are seldom reported by the media, Gregor said.

"Most of this stuff you never hear about," he said.

Flight 73 is the fourth incident he has heard of this week involving either a real electrical problem or faulty indicator lights, Gregor said. In one of those incidents, a malfunctioning oven produced smoke on a flight that had taken off from Los Angeles. That flight, ATA Airlines Flight 4755, was also headed to Hawaii.

After the United flight returned to SFO, the airline arranged for the travelers to fly out on a different plane around 2:30 p.m., Kovick said.

"We are working to get them to Honolulu as safely and as quickly as possible," he said.

MediaNews Staff Writer Melissa McRobbie contributed to this report.

E-mail Mark Abramson at mabramson@dailynewsgroup.com.