Philadelphia Emergency Landing Investigation Continues

The passengers have been safely removed, the fire extinguished and air traffic restored. Now it’s a matter of finding out what exactly happened when an engine fire forced an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Aiport Tuesday afternoon.

The manufacturers of the engine and plane said they are cooperating with the FAA’s investigation into the fire that caused a United Express flight bound for Newark, N.J., to land at Philadelphia International Airport, according to Reuters.

Statements by officials from Pratt & Whitney, which manufactured the engine, and Bombardier, which built the plane, expressed support for the investigation by federal authorities.

“Pratt & Whitney Canada is working with authorities, the operator and the aircraft manufacturer in order to assess the situation,” spokesman Marc Duchesne said in a statement.

The Bombardier Q400 plane departed from Raleigh-Durham, N.C., shortly after 2:30 p.m., headed for Newark. At approximately 4 p.m., smoke began to fill the cabin and cockpit, forcing the pilots to make the emergency landing in Philadelphia.

All 75 passengers were evacuated from the plane and emergency crews doused the aircraft with extinguishing foam. The FAA halted all air traffic at the airport for approximately one hour, reopening the runways just after 5 p.m.

(Photo: Twitter photo by Joe Sullivan)