WINNIPEG – A flight bound for Winnipeg on Friday was forced to land in Rapid City, S.D., due to an issue in the plane’s pressurization system.
The WestJet flight left Phoenix around 8 p.m. Shortly after, indicator lights came on, signalling pressurization problems. The plane was forced into a rapid descent, dropping to 10,000 feet from 40,000 feet.
The plane landed safety and the 38 guests aboard it were put up in hotel rooms.
On Saturday afternoon, a plane flew from Winnipeg to pick the guests up. They were expected to land in Winnipeg around 8 p.m. local time. A maintenance team flew from Calgary to Rapid City to repair the plane.
WestJet contacted the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board about the incident, however neither is launching an investigation.
A spokesperson for the airline said a rapid descent is extremely rare, with the last one happening three to four years ago.
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