Burlington-to-Charlotte Flight Declares Emergency, Lands Safely with No Injuries

All passengers safe after American Eagle crew activates emergency code during Wednesday morning flight

BURLINGTON, VT — A routine morning flight from Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport turned tense on Wednesday when the crew declared an in-flight emergency, though all passengers and crew landed safely with no injuries reported.

American Eagle flight 5498, which departed Burlington at 6:20 a.m. bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, activated the aviation emergency code “squawk 7700” during its descent into Charlotte Douglas International Airport around 8:30 a.m.

The emergency code alerts air traffic control that an aircraft requires priority handling. In this case, the crew aboard the Bombardier CRJ-900LR regional jet quickly resolved the issue, resetting the emergency code shortly after activation.

The aircraft landed safely at 8:43 a.m., just 41 minutes behind its scheduled arrival time. Passengers deplaned normally, and the plane returned to service for subsequent flights.

While the airline has not disclosed the specific cause of the emergency declaration, aviation experts note that such alerts are often triggered by minor technical issues like sensor malfunctions or pressurization anomalies that crews can address quickly.

The flight was operated by PSA Airlines under the American Eagle brand, a common arrangement for regional routes from Burlington. The CRJ-900 aircraft is frequently used on Vermont’s connections to major hub airports.

For Vermont travelers, the incident serves as a reminder of the safety protocols in place. Emergency declarations like Tuesday’s are handled routinely by flight crews and typically result in safe landings with minimal disruption.

Burlington International Airport officials had no additional comment on the incident, referring questions to the airline.