SkyWest Omaha–LA flight makes emergency landing after pilots mistake communication error for cabin malfunction

A SkyWest flight from Omaha to Los Angeles made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff after pilots mistakenly thought someone was trying to breach the cockpit. The confusion arose when a flight crew intercom was accidentally left on, preventing communication. SkyWest Flight 6569 returned to Omaha after pilots misinterpreted the knocking on the cockpit door as a security threat. (Representative image) A SkyWest flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Los Angeles made an emergency landing Monday night minutes after takeoff when pilots mistakenly believed someone was trying to breach the cockpit. SkyWest Flight 6569, operated by American Airlines, took off from Omaha’s Eppley Airport around 7:45 p.m. when the pilots declared an emergency and turned back to the airport. Communications mix-up caused confusion In a statement, SkyWest said the plane “returned to Omaha out of an abundance of caution after experiencing communication problems with a flight crew microphone.” A spokesperson for American Airlines explained the incident stemmed from a technical error with the intercom system used by pilots and flight attendants. “The intercom pilots and flight attendants use to talk to each other was switched on by accident,” the spokesperson said. Unable to communicate with the cockpit, the cabin crew began knocking on the cockpit door to get the pilots’ attention, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Pilots feared a cockpit breach. The unexpected bang led the pilots to fear an attempted cockpit intrusion, prompting them to declare an emergency and return to Omaha. Airport emergency dispatchers initially received a report of “people trying to get into the cabin” and asked officers to meet the plane upon arrival. Moments later, however, the dispatcher canceled the alert, saying, “No emergency advised … There was a staffing issue.” Flight resumes safely After the misunderstanding was cleared up, no injuries or threats were reported, and the plane was inspected. The flight later continued to Los Angeles without further incident. SkyWest and American Airlines both confirmed that passenger safety was never at risk, stressing that the decision to return was made purely “out of an abundance of caution”.