Second JetBlue flight makes emergency landing

A JetBlue airliner from Tampa, Florida, landed safely at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport today after its pilot reported a problem with the wing flaps as the plane prepared to descend, an airline spokeswoman said. No injuries were reported.

The emergency landing came one day after another of the airline’s planes circled southern California for hours with a faulty landing gear. That plane also landed without any injuries, but passengers watched in horror as they saw the drama unfold on news broadcasts on their in-flight TVs.

According to JetBlue spokeswoman Jenny Dervin, Flight No 32 departed Tampa at 11.56am local time. (4.56pm Irish time) today. As the plane was preparing to land at JFK, the pilot “received an indication the (flaps) were locked”, she said. “Following procedure, the pilot declared an emergency landing.”

The plane touched down at 2.24pm local time (7.24pm UK time), and the passengers were brought to an airport gate for a normal exit from the aircraft, Ms Dervin said. It was unclear if the flaps actually were locked or if it was a false alarm.

Arlene Murray, a spokeswoman for the US Federal Aviation Administration, confirmed the plane landed without incident and described the incident as “very minor”.

Yesterday’s flight with the crippled landing gear also was destined for New York City.