Passengers aboard a JetBlue flight were forced to evacuate using emergency slides on Wednesday after the plane made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, temporarily disrupting airport operations.
Flight 543, an Airbus A320 bound for Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, reported an engine issue shortly after departure, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After returning safely to Newark and exiting the runway, the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and initiated an evacuation via slides.
Normal operations resumed by 7:07 p.m. local time, the airport confirmed. However, outgoing flights faced average delays of at least 30 minutes, while incoming flights were delayed by more than two hours, the FAA reported. No injuries were immediately reported, and JetBlue stated it would cooperate with federal authorities to investigate the incident.
Passenger Alexandra Svokos described the evacuation as chaotic, telling local media that people were “shaking and panicking, and people were crying.” The incident comes as families affected by last year’s fatal collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial airliner are urging Congress to mandate advanced aircraft locator systems to prevent future tragedies.
