Warning light prompts pilot to divert Southwest flight to LAX

The pilot of a jet bound for Burbank on Sunday afternoon opted to divert the plane to LAX after a warning light indicated a possible mechanical problem.

Southwest Airlines flight 1429 took off from Sacramento shortly after 4 p.m. and was heading toward Bob Hope Airport when a light in the cockpit signaled a potential malfunction with the aircraft’s flaps, according to an airline statement.

The decision to land at LAX was made “out of an abundance of caution,” the statement said, and the Boeing 737 landed without incident. The 123 passengers onboard were bused to Burbank a few hours behind schedule, a Southwest spokeswoman said.

Because the pilot determined the situation did not require that he declare an emergency landing, no emergency vehicles responded to the runway when the plane landed.

The plane was taken out of service so mechanics could examine the flaps, which are used to control the airplane’s speed during approaches and landings, the spokeswoman said.

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