Saab Returns to Charleston with Engine Problems

A US Airways flight had to make an emergency landing Thursday afternoon shortly after leaving Yeager Airport.

The 34-seat Saab 340B airplane with GE engines took off just after 1 p.m. headed for Washington National Airport, Airport Director Rick Atkinson said. The pilot noticed something wrong with one of the engines.

"They didn't think the engine was operating at its best efficiency," he said. "The pilot didn't think it was performing right."

The plane made a successful emergency landing about 1:15 p.m. Fire trucks followed it to make sure the 23 people aboard, including the crew, made it off the plane safely, Atkinson said.

No smoke was visible from the plane, he said. Nobody was hurt.

Mechanics worked on the faulty engine while passengers were being rescheduled to other flights, Atkinson said.

However, rebooking flights is tricky this time of year because of the heavy Easter and Spring Break travel season, he said.

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