'Middle of the ocean': Delta flight from Beijing makes emergency landing on remote Alaskan island
26 December, 2018
A Delta Air Lines flight from Beijing on Monday (Dec 24) made an emergency landing on a remote Alaskan island after a potential engine issue.
There were 194 passengers on board when the Seattle-bound flight was diverted to a military base on Shemya island in Alaska's Aleutians chain, local media reported.
Another aircraft carrying maintenance technicians, airport customer service agents and a new set of crew was deployed to fly the stranded passengers to Seattle, according to Anchorage Daily News.
In a statement on Tuesday, Delta spokesman Drake Castaneda said that the passengers took off on an alternative aircraft from Shemya and arrived in Seattle at about 10pm Monday local time.
Delta also apologised for the delay, adding that safety was its top priority.
One passenger described the incident on Twitter, saying: "I'm still alive! So... we lost one engine, landed on a US air force base in Alaska in the middle of the ocean.
"Delta sent another plane from Seattle to pick us up and after waiting for 12 hours we are finally on the flight back. What a great story to tell my grandchildren."
The plane was a Boeing 767-300ER, according to Alaska Public Media.
Shemya island is home to Eareckson Air Station, a US Air Force installation with a 10,000-foot runway and other facilities, the media outlet added.