A Brazilian airline pilot inadvertently issued a hijacking distress signal during a flight in Brazil on Saturday, putting authorities throughout the country on alert, though no other flights were affected.
The pilot of Varig airlines Flight 2330 immediately advised air traffic controllers the plane had not been hijacked and that the signal was a misunderstanding, but civil aviation authorities stayed on alert until the aircraft landed in the city of Salvador, 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) northeast of Sao Paulo, a Brazilian air force spokesman said.
It wasn't immediately clear how many passengers were aboard the plane, which had departed from Sao Paulo, according to the spokesman, who said he could not be identified because of internal policy.
It also wasn't clear what prompted the distress signal. Authorities said they would investigate.
The plane was taken to a secure area as soon as it landed because authorities initially feared the pilot might have been forced to tell controllers the distress signal was a mistake.
Flights across the country have been severely delayed this week because air traffic controllers - complaining they are understaffed, overworked and underpaid - engaged in a so-called "work-to-rule" campaign, following regulations to the letter and slowing operations.
Controllers also said they had to take extra precautions following a collision in September that killed 154 people in Brazil's most deadly air crash.
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