Aviation

Delta flight from Tokyo to Portland makes emergency landing in Cold Bay

A Delta Air Lines jet made an emergency landing in Cold Bay on Saturday morning after experiencing "engine trouble," according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer wrote in an email that Delta Flight 68 traveling from Tokyo to Portland, Oregon, diverted to the Alaska runway Saturday. He wrote that the aircraft, a Boeing 767-300, landed without incident.

Delta spokeswoman Sarah Lora said a mechanical issue in flight caused pilots to divert the flight to Cold Bay. Lora did not know what the specific mechanical issue was Saturday morning but said a mechanical crew was on scene in Cold Bay.

She said the flight landed in Alaska at 6:05 a.m. carrying 210 passengers and a crew of 11.

Lora said a Delta flight to ferry passengers back to Portland was set to depart from Cold Bay on Saturday. She said passengers would fly directly to Portland, with an estimated arrival of approximately 3 p.m. Saturday.

Remote Cold Bay, located on the Alaska Peninsula, is home to one of Alaska's largest runways. Built during World War II, the 10,000-foot-long runway often serves as an emergency landing spot for flights crossing the Pacific Ocean. In October, an American Airlines jet traveling from Shanghai to Chicago diverted to the airport after experiencing engine trouble. That flight also landed without incident.

Suzanna Caldwell

Suzanna Caldwell is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in 2017.

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