Jet Bound for Orange County Aborts Flight

A USAir jet bound for Orange County with 26 passengers aboard was forced to make an emergency landing five minutes after takeoff Friday after the pilot reported engine trouble, officials said.

Flight 2666, bound for John Wayne Airport, landed safely at San Jose International Airport. Passengers were directed to an American Airlines flight that arrived in Orange County shortly before 8 p.m., USAir officials said.

USAir spokesman Larry Pickett said the pilot of the BAE-146 shut off one of two left wing engines and returned the aircraft to San Jose without incident. The British-built plane, which can accommodate about 85 people, landed at 6:05 p.m.

“There was nothing to it. It lasted about five minutes,” Pickett said. “It was just a precaution . . . and the pilot did not need to raise an alarm. The three other engines were in sound order.”