WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioAllegiant flight from Youngstown makes emergency landing in Pittsburgh

Allegiant flight from Youngstown makes emergency landing in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania - There were some anxious moments Thursday for passengers on an Allegiant Airline flight from Youngstown to Florida.

The plane, a MD-80, developed engine trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Allegiant Air Flight 607 took off from Youngstown just before 7:00 p.m. with 141 passengers and five crew members and was bound for Orlando/Sanford, Florida when an engine temperature light came on.

A spokesperson for Allegiant says as standard procedure, the pilot shut down one of the plane's two engines as a precaution, declared an emergency and landed the aircraft normally in Pittsburgh.

21 WFMJ Community Relations Director Madonna Pinkard was on that flight. "Of course, the first thing out of my mind was fear. I'm very scared. I've got my only son and my husband with me. But then also shock. You know, you expect the best. And I just wondered what was going to happen. I think that most of the folks on the plane were pretty calm in that respect. But now that we're here in the airport (Pittsburgh), everybody feels pretty safe and sound," Pinkard said.

An inspection later revealed an oil leak in the engine.

Allegiant is flying another MD-80 aircraft from Florida to Pittsburgh to take the passengers to Orlando-Sanford. The earliest they were expected to depart was 12:45 a.m. Passengers were given meal vouchers and a $25.00 credit toward their next flight. Passengers could also re-book on another flight without any additional fees. If they chose not to continue on Thursday's flight.