Passengers report ‘boom’ before American Airlines flight makes emergency landing at RDU

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — An American Airlines flight was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before 8:30 a.m. Thursday due to reports of a possible odor inside of the aircraft, according to the airline.

RDU officials said the Boeing 737-800 aircraft landed safely at the airport and was towed to a gate. RDU fire-rescue officials and mutual aid agencies are on the scene to offer any aid needed to passengers and crews on the flight.

American Airlines officials said that oxygen masks did not deploy and no injuries were reported to passengers or crew members.

CBS 17 spoke with Dayn Boitet and his wife Lisa Boitet who were on the American Airlines flight. Both reported hearing a “boom” before an odor crept into the cabin.

“It was a strong smell of something burning,” Dayn Boitet said.

The Boitets say no announcement was made to passengers about the source of the sound or the smell. The couple says another passenger approached flight attendants to ask what happened. It was then, they say, an announcement was finally made.

“They should have communicated more with passengers,” Dayn said. He tells CBS 17 he spoke with the captain before deboarding and was told a piece of metal went into a turbine, damaging the engine.

Dayn tells CBS 17 the pilots did a good job landing the plane safely but felt there was an “obvious lack of training and protocol” when it comes to keeping passengers informed.

Clocking in more than 2 million miles with the airline, Dayn called American Airlines’ description of a possible odor “pathetic” and not transparent.

The flight was traveling from Charlotte with an intended destination of Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. The Boitets and other passengers who were forced to deplane waited had to until 12:30 p.m. for a new plane to arrive to take them to Connecticut.

Runways at RDU have reopened after a brief pause of arrival and departures to allow for the plane to land, officials said.

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