UPS flight diverts to Sacramento-area airport after pilots report smoke in cockpit

A UPS plane bound for Southern California required an emergency landing at Mather Airport east of Sacramento on Wednesday night after its crew reported smoke in the cockpit.

The incident happened about 9 p.m. when UPS Flight 975, cruising at 39,000 feet, decided to divert while over the Bridgeport area in eastern California, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.

Firefighters said the plane was flying from Portland, Oregon, to an airport in Ontario, 38 miles east of Los Angeles.

The call to divert was made after oxygen masks deployed in the cockpit and the two-person crew had reported smoke and a burning odor to flight controllers.

The diversion of the MD-11F was termed a “major inflight emergency,” requiring a response from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and Sacramento County Airport Fire. The landing, which took place 20 minutes later, temporarily closed the airport to inbound flights. The plane landed with no injuries before the pilot and co-pilot were evaluated and released.

Firefighters boarded the plane on the runway and found no signs of fire. The plane was towed to a hanger for inspection and repairs.

The cargo plane had been put into service for UPS in 2003 after its conversion. The McDonnell-Douglas plane was originally configured as a passenger jet and delivered to Japan Airlines in 1996.

The incident had not been logged on the FAA’s aviation safety reporting database as of Thursday morning.

Mather Airport is a former Air Force base near Rancho Cordova is a regional hub for freighters and other heavy aircraft. The county-owned facility also houses the 149th Intelligence Squadron of the Army National Guard .

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