Playing It Safe : 2 Jets Make Emergency Landings at LAX but Problems Appear Minor

Two jetliners made safe emergency landings within 10 minutes of each other Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport after one plane was forced to shut down one of its engines and the other reported possible landing gear problems.

No injuries were reported, and faulty warning lights may have been responsible for both incidents, officials said.

Passengers aboard the planes, United Flight 171 and USAir Flight 2863, continued on to their destinations without further incident.

A United spokeswoman in Chicago said a Boeing 373 inbound from San Francisco with 26 passengers and a crew of five on board was approaching Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport when a warning light went on, indicating possible landing gear trouble.

The pilot, whom the airline declined to identify, “chose to divert to Los Angeles International, where we have more mechanics,” the spokeswoman said.

With its landing gear down, Flight 171 landed safely at 1:06 p.m. and was able to taxi to the gate. Passengers were later bused to Burbank.

A preliminary check of the aircraft showed no problems with the landing gear, but a probable short in a warning light, the spokeswoman said.

Another warning light, this time indicating possible engine trouble, prompted the pilot of a USAir jetliner to shut down one of the aircraft’s four engines and make a safe emergency landing at 12:58 p.m. at LAX.

The British Aerospace 146 aircraft, with 44 passengers and four crew members, was on a flight from San Diego to Medford, Ore.--with a scheduled stop at LAX-- when the incident occurred, said airline spokesman William T. Wysong.

With its other engines operating normally, Flight 2863 reported no other problems.

Wysong said a preliminary check showed that nothing was wrong with the engine, adding that a faulty warning light--indicating possible engine trouble--was discovered in the cockpit.

He said it was standard procedure for USAir pilots to shut down an engine when a warning light goes on. The BAe 146 aircraft can fly safely on three engines, he added.

After a short delay, passengers on Flight 2863 continued on to Medford on another aircraft, officials said.