MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC -- A US Airways flight traveling to Charlotte, N.C. made an emergency landing aboard the Air Station July 22.
The airplane, traveling from Hilton Head, S.C., landed aboard Fightertown after the pilots noticed the right engine had failed.
“We were traveling at about 1,000 feet when I heard a pop,” said Benjamin Nesler, pilot, US Airways. “That’s when I noticed the warning lights in the cockpit were lighting up.”
The aircraft, a DaHavilland Dash 8, was carrying about 27 passengers when the engine failed.
“It made my heart jump,” said Laura Good, passenger, “But, the pilots did an excellent job landing the airplane.”
According to Nesler, pilots are prepared in aviation school to handle emergencies.
“We did exactly what we are trained to do,” Nesler said. “After we heard the pop and noticed the lights, we went right down the checklist and were able to get everything under control.”
According to Good, it was barely noticeable the airplane was making an emergency landing.
“We were a bit shaken up,” Good said. “ But the Marines that responded (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting) did an excellent job getting us out of the plane and making sure we were safe.”
According to Kathy Bojarski and Christi Demartino, flight attendants aboard the flight, all of the passengers were very cooperative with the evacuation.
“This was my first time experiencing something like this,” Bojarski said. “But it is something that we are trained for.”
Once the plane was evacuated, the passengers were taken to the Officers’ Club to await further travel arrangements.
“It was a weird experience,” Good said. “But it definitely won’t deter me from hopping on another plane and getting on my way.”