‘Electrical’ Smell Forces Landing of ValuJet Plane

A ValuJet plane returned to Orlando International Airport for an emergency landing Saturday after the pilot reported a strong “electrical” smell, airport officials said. No one was injured and no smoke or fire was found.

Flight 116 bound for Atlanta returned to the airport shortly after the 4:30 p.m. EST takeoff and the 32 passengers and five crew got off without any problem.

The pilot had reported a strong “electrical” smell, first in the cockpit, then in the rear of the plane, but an inspection of the DC-9 on the ground turned up no smoke or fire, said airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell.

The incident came a day after weeklong federal hearings ended into the cause of the May crash of ValuJet Flight 592, which plunged into the Everglades after the pilot reported smoke in the aircraft. That crash, which killed all 110 people on board, was blamed on improperly boxed oxygen-generating canisters.

ValuJet spokeswoman Marcia Scott emphasized that Saturday’s landing in Orlando did not involve actual smoke in the aircraft, only a “faint smoke smell” detected by the pilot.

“He decided, certainly, to return and have that investigated,” she said. “It was a very routine response. We’re quite pleased with the way our crew handled it.”

Also Saturday, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 1447 bound for Acapulco, Mexico, aborted takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after the right engine caught fire, said airport spokeswoman Angel Biasatti.

The plane, an MD-80 with 116 passengers and five crew members aboard, was evacuated. Three people were injured, including one elderly passenger who was taken to a hospital after complaining of heart problems, Biasatti said. Emergency crews extinguished the fire and the runway was closed.

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American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan would not confirm that the engine caught fire. Mechanics will have to inspect the plane to determine the problem, she said.

Passengers said they heard a loud noise, smelled an odor and then were told to leave personal items and exit immediately.

“You heard a loud pop and once that happened the pilot shut down and then about 30 seconds later they decided to evacuate the aircraft,” said passenger David Stokes.

On Nov. 4 in Dallas, another American Airlines MD-80 had to abort takeoff when a blade in one of the engines broke as the plane went down the runway. No one was injured.