DC-9 returns to Atlantic City after crew smells smoke April 7, 2000, 11:52 PM

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Minutes after liftoff Friday, a DC-9 carrying 109 people returned to Atlantic City International Airport when the crew smelled smoke in the cockpit, authorities said.

Spirit Airlines Flight 303, bound for Orlando, Fla., left the airport at 3:45 p.m., but turned around within 20 minutes after the odor was detected, said Peter Hartt, a spokesman for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which owns the airport.

Once back, passengers were evacuated from the aircraft via a stairwell as fire rescue units from the airport and the 177th Fighter Wing, which is based at the airport, checked the jet.

No fire was found. The firefighters detected the odor as well, Hartt said.

Passengers waited 41/2 hours to get a replacement Spirit Airlines plane Friday.

Calls to the airline's Atlantic City office were referred to an official at Spirit's headquarters in Eastpointe, Mich. Those calls were not immediately returned.

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw10011_20000407.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 08, 2000