by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:34 AM ET, Fri August 23, 2019
A Hawaiian Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing Thursday and seven people were transported to a local hospital after a thick cloud of white smoke filled the cabin.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the crew operating Hawaiian Airlines Flight HA47 from Oakland to Honolulu was forced to call for an emergency landing just before it reached Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at around 11:30 a.m. local time.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the Airbus A321 landed at the Honolulu airport without any further incident, but the passengers were forced to sit in the smoke-filled cabin for about 20 minutes and were evacuated via emergency slides.
Officials from the airline also confirmed that smoke entered the cockpit, cabin and cargo hold of the plane, and announced the cause was likely the left engine. When the aircraft landed, it was met by several emergency vehicles and personnel.
"We have since determined that a seal failed in the aircraft's left engine, causing oil to leak onto hot parts of the plane's engine and air conditioning pressurization system, resulting in smoke in the cabin," an airline spokesperson told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. "The performance of the engine was not affected, and the Airbus A321neo flight landed without incident on runway 4R."
In total, seven people reported smoke-related symptoms and were transported to a local hospital. The other passengers were bused from the runway to the terminal. FAA officials have launched an investigation into the incident.
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