A routine flight from St. Louis to Phoenix Sky Harbor was interrupted on Friday, Sept. 12, after a maintenance issue forced the plane to return shortly after takeoff.
What Happened
- Flight: American Airlines Flight 2574
- Route: St. Louis Lambert International Airport → Phoenix Sky Harbor
- Issue: Crew reported a smell of fumes in the cockpit
- Action: Aircraft turned back and landed safely
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight landed under its own power and taxied back to the gate without incident.
Delay and Resolution
- Scheduled takeoff: ~8:00 a.m. Central time
- Returned to St. Louis shortly after departure
- Maintenance teams inspected the aircraft before clearing it to fly
- Flight finally departed again at 4:25 p.m. Central and landed in Phoenix at 5:45 p.m. Arizona time
That meant passengers experienced a 7½-hour delay.
Airline Response
American Airlines issued a statement saying:
“We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
Next Steps
The FAA has opened an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the reported fumes.
