Flight bound for Miami diverted to Fort Myers By BOB REDDY, The News-Press

FORT MYERS A United Airlines flight bound for Miami made an emergency landing at Southwest Florida International Airport Monday after the pilot reported a smoky haze in the cockpit.

The plane, a Boeing 767, landed safely at 10:25 p.m. and none of the 157 people on board was injured, airport spokeswoman Susan Sanders said.

Flight 985, which originated in San Francisco, was diverted to Fort Myers at 10:12 p.m. when the pilot reported the haze, Sanders said.

Emergency crews still were examining the plane for the cause of the haze late Monday. Passengers were making other arrangements to finish their trip to Miami.

Passenger Malice Vande Pol of Boca Raton said the flight had trouble in San Francisco.

There was a terrible plastic burning smell of smoke the pilot said was from us sucking a garbage bag (into the intake), Vande Pol said.

The smell dissipated when the flight reached cruising altitude, she said.

Nearly five hours later, as the plane started its descent near Tampa, the cockpit and then the cabin began to fill with the hazy smoke.

The bathroom smoke detectors went off and we saw the smoke, similar to the hazy smoke you see in a bar, Vande Pol said.

No air masks were deployed.

We descended very quickly, so we knew there was something wrong, said fellow passenger Astrid Hunton of Coral Springs.

The descent was so fast it caused Huntons husbands watch to crack.

I guess it was a cheap watch, she said.

As for the smoke filling the cabin, she said it didnt seem to scare any of the passengers.

It was annoying, Hunton said. Everyone remained calm.

Another passenger said he didnt realize where he was when the aircraft landed.

I thought we were in Miami, we are so close, said Randy Stewart of Miami Beach.

Stewart said he was surprised when the flight continued on after the first reports of smoke.

You would think they would turn around after that, but the pilot didnt seem to think it was a problem until the smoke reappeared, he said.

Stewart said he was concerned only once.

I saw the emergency vehicles and several of the guys wearing protective clothes, he said of the firefighters who surrounded the plane, prepared for the worst.

About half of the passengers chose to rent cars in Fort Myers rather than waiting to continue on with their flight.

I dont want to fly that plane again, Vande Pol said.

The emergency landing was officially an Alert II at the airport, Sanders said. An Alert I warns of a minor difficulty, such as an oil leak. An Alert III means that a crash has occurred or is imminent.

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-- Doris (reaper1@mindspring.com), July 04, 2000