Apr 11, 2000 - 08:17 PM

Another Spirit Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing (MD-80)

The Associated Press

POMONA, N.J. (AP) - A Spirit Airlines jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Atlantic City International Airport on Tuesday after two generators failed. It was the third such incident in five days.

Spirit Flight 329, which originated in Fort Myers, Fla., made a stop in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and was en route to Islip, N.Y., when it experienced the problems, according to Spirit's vice president of safety, Robert Moreland.

The MD-80, with 164 passengers aboard, was over Norfolk, Va., when a speed drive that links the engines with the primary generator overheated, automatically disconnecting the generator, Moreland said.

An auxiliary power unit replaced the generator, but it soon began losing oil pressure, so the pilot shut it down, Moreland said. That left one generator working.

Even though that was good enough to fly the plane, Spirit's policy is to ground any aircraft forced into operating on only one generator, he said.

"We say get it on the ground," Moreland said.

The passengers were later flown to Islip on another aircraft, according to a woman who answered the telephone at Spirit's office at the airport.

On Friday, Flight 303 to Orlando, Fla., turned around within 20 minutes of its departure when smoke from a malfunctioning air-recycling unit alarmed passengers and crew. The DC-9 aircraft, with 109 people aboard, landed safely and no fire was detected.

On Saturday, Flight 541 to Myrtle Beach, S.C., suffered the failure of its primary engine as it lifted off from Atlantic City International. The plane turned around and landed at the airport. --- On the Web: http://www.spiritair.com/

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGIBK787Y6C.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), April 12, 2000