Newsday

LA-Bound Plane Makes Emergency Stop

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) -- A United Airlines flight from Melbourne, Australia, to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in American Samoa after smoke was spotted in the cockpit.

Flight 848 with 300 passengers and 22 crew landed about 8 p.m. Sunday at Pago Pago International Airport in the U.S. territory 2,300 miles south of Hawaii.

Matthew Triaca, spokesman for the Chicago-based airline, said the 747 was diverted to Pago Pago after the flight crew noticed the smoke. The plane landed safely, he said.

The source of the smoke was not immediately known.

A second plane was flown to Pago Pago to take the passengers to Los Angeles, Triaca said.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), January 15, 2001