Aug. 25—An Alaska Airlines flight to Oakland from Seattle was diverted minutes after takeoff Sunday due to engine troubles.
Flight AS1240, operated with a Boeing 737 twin engine jet, changed course about five minutes after its delayed 1:04 p.m. departure from Seattle—Tacoma International Airport, according to the airline and public aviation records.
Pilots conducted an emergency landing after one of the aircraft's engines stopped working, though it wasn't immediately clear what caused the abrupt "shutdown," an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Maintenance employees were looking into the cause as of Sunday evening, the spokesperson said.
A passenger told the Chronicle in an email that they heard a loud noise and felt a jarring jump, and that fire engines met the plane on the tarmac.
Records showed the aircraft circled above Seattle several times before returning to the airport.
"Credit to the crew for following standard procedures for this situation and landing safely and without incident," the spokesperson said.
Passengers arrived in Oakland about four hours late on a new aircraft, records showed.
Reach Nora Mishanec: [email protected]
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