Frontier Airlines passengers sue for being kept on ‘smoke-filled’ plane for nearly an hour
Passengers were also subjected to the ‘violent impact of the landing’ after tires exploded and landing gear collapsed
A group of Frontier Airlines passengers say they were kept on board a smoke-filled plane for nearly an hour in a lawsuit filed last week.
The 19 plaintiffs were among the 197 people on board Flight 1326 from San Diego to Las Vegas on October 5.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report into the incident, the Airbus A321 was arriving at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport when it suffered a brake fire. Photos and video of the incident show smoke and flames coming from the aircraft.
The flight’s first officer told investigators that, shortly before descent, the cabin crew detected an odour in the cabin, which was then smelled in the cockpit, too.
The report added that after the pilots declared an emergency, their display screens were limited, and they had some difficulty communicating with air traffic control.
Friday’s lawsuit, filed in the Nevada District Court, says that the cabin was filled with smoke and became “extraordinarily hot”.
