NC - Asheville to Charlotte commuter flight declares emergency, no one hurt

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NC - Asheville to Charlotte commuter flight declares emergency, no one hurt

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- A US Airways Express commuter plane with 39 people aboard returned to the airport here Wednesday after the pilots declared an emergency with engine trouble.

None of the 36 passengers and three crew members aboard Flight 3398 from Asheville to Charlotte were injured.

The Dash-8 twin-engine turboprop took off from Asheville Regional Airport at 8:26 a.m. but quickly returned and taxied back to the terminal by 8:40 a.m., airport director Mike Armour said.

"They had what they call surging in the engine," airline spokesman David Castelveter said. "To describe it, in your car, it's almost as if the engine were pulsing, as if your engine were idling rough."

He said he did not know what maintenance workers found after inspecting the engine.

The 37-seat plane is operated by Piedmont Airlines, a US Airways subsidiary, Castelveter said.

"The engines were, to me, even to me, they were sounding a little ragged, but I thought it was just the cold weather," said passenger Donna Littlefield.

A veteran flyer who said he travels hundreds of thousands a miles a year said he wasn't worried.

"Actually, I've flown on a single engine before into Asheville when the propeller was not even turning, so at least this way, the engines were still operating," passenger Chuck Grant said.

http://www.newsobserver.com/ncwire/news/Story/260983p-245188c.html

-- Doris (nocents@bellsouth.net), December 21, 2000


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