http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000315/ts/airlines_jet_1.html

Wednesday March 15 1:41 PM ET

Passengers Evacuate U.S. Airways Jet in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - A woman was injured on Wednesday when several passengers used emergency chutes to evacuate a U.S. Airways Boeing (NYSE:BA - news) 737 jet at Tampa International Airport, an airport spokeswoman said.

Spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagen said the jet was pushing back from its gate on a flight to Pittsburgh when some passengers noticed smoke and flames coming from the engines.

The emergency chutes were opened and 13 passengers slid down them before the crew decided to stop the evacuation and bring the jet back to the gate. The remaining passengers left the plane through the jetway.

The injured woman had bruises and abrasions. She was treated at a local hospital and released.

The flight was canceled and passengers were put on other flights. The jet was being inspected by mechanics. U.S. Airways is operated by US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE:U - news)

(end of article)

From an air safety discussion board:

BA flight crash scare

Terrified passengers on board a Boeing 777 flight to London were told to brace themselves for an emergency landing in the sea when an electronic warning went off by mistake.

Passengers were told to find their lifejackets and adopt the emergency position ready for the emergency landing.

A BA spokesman said the problem appeared to lie with a password-protected panel in the galley.

She said the incident, on a Boston to London flight last Sunday, was being investigated.

It is the third similar error to hit a British Airways flight in less than a year.

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), March 15, 2000

Answers

Viewer,

Several months ago someone posted an article about a 777 which had a computer crash while it was still on the ground.

-- - (x@xxx.com), March 15, 2000.

Tampa International Airport is one of the finest airports in the country.....and an awful lot of funny things have been going on there since rollover.

I've posted this elsewhere....will do it again now.....from my friend in Tampa: small planes crashing into each other on a regular basis, in the air and on the runway. In one week in Feb. 3 such incidences were reorted. Also, the single plane accidents: into the cow pasture, into the highway, into the pole on the runway, etc. This information is being reported locally, primarily on the radio. My friends young children have developed a heightened awareness of airplane crashes and now are fearful at the thought of flying.

nancy

-- NH (new@mindspring.com), March 15, 2000.

That's interesting, Nancy. Are the small plane crashes increased in number over last year? What kinds of explanations are being given for the crashes?

-- viewer (justp@ssing.by), March 15, 2000.