2 planes make emergency landings at Vt. airport

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - A Vermont airport responded to two emergency landings in one day Wednesday.

A Delta flight carrying 33 passengers and three crew members from Detroit to Quebec landed safely Wednesday around 4 p.m. No injuries were reported.

Joe Williams, a spokesman for regional jet operator Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., said the main passenger door of the CRJ200 regional jet was making a noise so the pilot diverted to the nearest available airport.

The flight was cancelled and passengers were booked into hotels because the crew had reached the maximum time allowed to remain on duty. The passengers are expected to fly to Quebec on Thursday morning, he said.

"They believe they have the problem corrected," Williams said.

Earlier Wednesday, a Chicago-bound United Airlines regional jet made an emergency landing at the two-runway Burlington International Airport shortly after takeoff. The United Express Flight 3785 had been in the air about 10 minutes when it landed safely at 6:28 a.m. after a report of smoke in the cargo hold, said airport operations specialist Patrick Sharrow.

No injuries were reported. The CRJ700 plane was carrying 66 passengers and four crew members.

United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said a cockpit indicator light erroneously alerted the flight crew to smoke in the cargo hoId. Sharrow also said one of the engines shut down, but Johnson said there was no engine failure.

Customers flew in a different plane to Chicago with the same flight number. It landed at 12:49 p.m. EST, Johnson said.