Emergency landing delays vacation plans

INDIANAPOLIS  Its certainly not the way anyone wants to start a vacation. Wednesday morning, dozens of American Trans Air passengers braced themselves for an emergency landing.

Passengers prayed and fire rescue crews waited along side the runway as the crippled airliner touched down.

The ATA flight to Florida left Indianapolis International half an hour earlier. Seven minutes into the flight, the pilot declared an emergency, a problem with one of the planes three engines. He shut it down, telling 142 passengers the crew was dumping fuel to lighten the airliner and turning around.

Sandy Bratton and Linda Knight remember It was running funny, it didnt sound right. Let's get on a different plane and have some fun. ATA passenger Chad Johnson adds, A couple of people were upset, but for the most part it was very calm.

While an FAA official and mechanics made a preliminary inspection of the failed engine, the airline struggled to get another plane ready and passengers wrestled with the ordeal they survived.

In fact most of the vacation bound passengers appeared more perturbed than scared.

One traveler says it wasnt a traumatic experience, were OK.

Another was ready to continue on. Lets get on a different plane and have some fun.

About an hour and a half latter, passengers boarded another plane, but not Sandy and Linda. No, were not going, we have our luggage. Thats it.

The pair headed out of the terminal.

Flight 425 barreled down the runway, taking off late, but safely on its way to Saint Petersburg, Florida.

http://www.msnbc.com/local/WTHR/65477.asp

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), April 12, 2000