Southwest flight makes emergency landing at Orlando International Airport
A Southwest Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Orlando International Airport Thursday afternoon after reports of a blown-out tire, according to airport officials.
Southwest Flight 736, originating from Fort Lauderdale and bound for Denver, made an emergency landing shortly before 1 p.m., airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said.
The 737 landed safely without any impact to airport operations, Fennell said.
Fennell said emergency equipment and first responders were dispatched to standby in case of an emergency.
A Southwest Airlines spokesman said the plane’s nose-gear tire blew out after departing from Fort Lauderdale.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Pilots elected to divert to Orlando International Airport (MCO) where the flight landed safely, and our Technical Operations Team will address the issue,” the spokesman said. “The Southwest Team is working to get our Customers to their final destinations as soon as possible. Safety is always our top priority, and we appreciate the understanding of our Customers during today’s diversion.”
No injuries were reported.
Michael Williams can be reached at miwilliams@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5022 or @michaeldamianw.
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