Passengers scramble out of plane in St. Louis after report of smoke in the cabin

TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:

"FAA Investigates Emergency Landing of United Express Flight Due to Cabin Smoke"

Passengers scramble out of plane in St. Louis after report of smoke in the cabin analysis cover image CNN 8.4
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Original Article Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/02/us/stl-plane-evacuation-smoke-reported
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TruthLens AI Summary

On Tuesday morning, a United Express flight operated by GoJet Airlines encountered a critical situation shortly after takeoff from St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The flight, which was bound for Chicago, reported a smoke warning in the lavatory just minutes into its ascent. The pilot communicated the emergency to air traffic control, indicating the need to return to the airport and suggesting that fire trucks may be necessary upon landing. The aircraft successfully landed approximately 12 minutes after takeoff, prompting an immediate evacuation of all passengers. This incident raised concerns about passenger safety and the swift response of the airline staff during an emergency scenario.

Footage captured by a passenger depicted a chaotic scene as individuals exited the aircraft, climbing onto the wings as flight attendants instructed them to leave their belongings behind. One passenger, Dominic Gagliardotto, described the moment as alarming, especially when instructed to brace for impact. He took the opportunity to text his daughter, expressing his love amidst the panic. Once on the ground, St. Louis firefighters assisted passengers in safely sliding off the wings and onto the tarmac. Fortunately, all passengers were eventually transported back to the terminal and provided with a different aircraft for their journey. The airline confirmed that everyone on board reached their intended destination without further incident, highlighting the effectiveness of the emergency response protocols in place during such situations.

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Source URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/02/us/stl-plane-evacuation-smoke-reported

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a report of smoke in an airplane bathroom which led to an emergency landing in St. Louis, Missouri, and an evacuation on the runway Tuesday.

United Express flight 4423, operated by GoJet Airlines, had just taken off from St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 6:40 a.m., headed to Chicago, when “the crew reported a lavatory smoke warning,” GoJet spokesperson Elizabeth Dray said in a statement.

“We got smoke in the lav,” the pilot told the air traffic control tower moments after taking off, according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net. “We’re going to come back… we might need one of the fire trucks to follow behind us.”

The CRJ-700 plane landed just 12 minutes after it took off, according the flight tracking site FlightAware.com.

Video shot by passenger Dominic Gagliardotto showed passengers climbing onto the wing of the plane as flight attendants shouted to “leave everything behind.”

“It didn’t really hit until they started talking about, when we tell you to brace for impact, put your head down between your legs,” Gagliardotto told CNN affiliate WLS. “And when they said that I texted my daughter, telling her I’ll always love her.”

St. Louis firefighters helped people slide off the plane’s wings and onto the tarmac.

“The aircraft landed safely, and Lambert Airport operations transported all passengers back to the terminal,” the airline spokesperson said. “We arranged for a different aircraft, and all our customers successfully reached their destination.”

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Source: CNN