San Diego

Plume of Smoke Rises from Hydraulic Leak at San Diego Airport

Smoke billowed from a hydraulic leak at the San Diego Intl. Airport

A flight was delayed when the airplane started leaking and sent a plume of smoke into the air Thursday morning, confirmed the San Diego International Airport.

Around 9:05 a.m., the pilot of Spirit Airlines flight 359 spotted smoke from a hydraulic leak coming from the plane's exterior, San Diego Intl. Airport spokesperson Johnathan Heller said. The flight was on the runway, about to head to Las Vegas, when the leak was discovered.

The captain of another aircraft in line for takeoff also reported smoke, Spirit Airlines spokesperson Stephen Schuler said. He saw the plumes rising from the plane's rear landing gear.

Airport Fire and Rescue crews responded to the scene, Heller said. The plane was towed back to the gate just before 10 a.m.

Mechanics and FAA inspectors discovered the leakage and smoke was nothing more than condensation, Schuler explained. As of 2:30 p.m., the plane was scheduled to take off shortly.

Schuler said there were no reports of smoke within the plane's cabin, just on the exterior. The incident was considered a gate return, not an aborted takeoff.

Nobody was injured or hurt in the incident, according to airport officials. There was no fire.

Contact Us