Monday afternoon, a Delta flight from Atlanta to Orlando had to make an emergency stop at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville because there was smoke in the cabin and oxygen masks fell from the ceiling during the flight.
The Boeing 757 had 200 passengers and six crew members on board. Peter Stewart, a tourist from Atlanta, was sitting in the row closest to the emergency exit on Flight 1576. He was going on a business trip to Orlando.
“We took off.” Everything was fine. More and more heat was building up inside the house. One thing we could tell was that the plane was moving more slowly. Then, out of the blue, the gas masks came down. Not long after that, they told us to put on our masks because the ship was losing pressure.
In 40 years, he has flown almost 3 million miles, and he says this flight was unlike any other he has ever been on.
“This was the most scary time I’ve ever had on an airplane,” he said.
Stewart was able to send one word to his family as the plane quickly went down.
“I love you,” I said. That was the only thing that came to mind at the time. Then I went to write something else, but the Wi-Fi went out. “The plane then slowed down even more,” he said. It’s true that I prayed at that time.
He says that people in the cabin were quiet.
“It was very quiet.” “We’re banking so hard that you couldn’t hear anything when we’re going down quickly,” he said. “You could see men and women holding hands.”
Some people on the plane said they could smell smoke, but Stewart said he didn’t see any. Delta says there are no signs that the plane is on fire.
Stewart praised the pilots for how well they handled the situation as the plane quickly slid to Cecil Airport.
“A lot of Delta pilots used to be in the military.” That’s what I think the person who was flying was. Stewart said, “I think that crew was very skilled because they were able to carefully bank that plane while rapidly losing altitude. That maneuver got us into that small airport so quickly.”
Once they were safe on the ground, their feelings poured out.
“There was a lot of cheering for the pilots,” he said.
To say sorry to customers, Delta told First Coast News, “Safety comes first at Delta, and our teams will now focus on taking care of our customers and getting them to their destinations.”
The airline set up ground transportation for Stewart and other guests to get to Orlando.
“At around 2 p.m. local time on Monday, June 9, Delta Air Lines Flight 1576 safely landed at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida. The crew had reported a problem with the pressure on board.” From Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Orlando International Airport, the Boeing 757-200 was taking off. The FAA is going to look into it. “For information, contact the airline,” the FAA said in a statement.
Stewart says he might not fly this week if you ask him if he plans to go back home to Atlanta.
“To be honest, I haven’t decided yet.” There are times when I just want to rent a car. Drive back.”
