Door of American Airlines jet opened at 12,000 feet

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Door of American Airlines jet opened at 12,000 feet

Copyright ) 2000 Nando Media Copyright ) 2000 Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. (March 9, 2000 8:54 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com)

- Passengers startled by a sudden change in pressure aboard an American Airlines flight watched in surprise as a flight engineer opened one of the plane's exterior doors at 12,000 feet to pull in a loose strap.

Passengers on the Miami-to-Newark flight learned the door was opening only when they felt their ears pop and air rushed through the cabin about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The pilot later explained that the strap had to be retrieved because of the possibility its buckle could break loose and get sucked into an engine, passenger Cora Diaz told The Star-Ledger of Newark in a story for Thursday's editions.

Diaz said she was sitting at the back of the airplane and saw a flight engineer and two crew members open the door.

"Everybody picked up their heads and said, 'What's going on? What's going on?'" Diaz said.

After closing and locking the door seconds later, the flight engineer returned to the cockpit and the pilot explained the procedure. The pilot said the strap was inadvertently left behind by food service workers.

He told passengers he slowed the plane and remained at 12,000 feet during the maneuver, Diaz said.

She said the flight was full, but it wasn't immediately known how many people were aboard.

The Federal Aviation Administration was reviewing the incident, and a spokesman declined to say whether the pilot had acted properly. Telephone calls to American Airlines were not returned Wednesday night.

http://www.nando.net/24hour/sacbee/nation/story/0,1733,500178546-500234225-501150035-0,00.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 09, 2000


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