By Michelle Ndaga
An American Airlines regional jet operated by SkyWest Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing in Nebraska on Monday night after pilots lost communication with the cabin crew and heard unexpected knocking on the cockpit door, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crew of Flight 6469, which departed Omaha’s Eppley Airfield for Los Angeles at 6:41 p.m. local time, turned back just minutes after takeoff. The Embraer ERJ-175 landed safely about 18 minutes later, with emergency crews standing by.
The FAA said the crew’s loss of contact was traced to a faulty interphone system, which prevented the pilots from reaching flight attendants inside the cabin. “After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the interphone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door,” the agency confirmed.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft parked on the tarmac, surrounded by two fire trucks. Omaha’s airport authority later said there was no security threat associated with the incident.
Both American Airlines and SkyWest Airlines said they are cooperating with investigators and reviewing maintenance records related to the communication system malfunction. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
