A UPS plane bound for Southern California required an emergency landing at Mather Airport east of Sacramento on Wednesday night after its crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
The incident happened about 9 p.m. when UPS Flight 975, cruising at 39,000 feet, decided to divert while over the Bridgeport area in eastern California, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.
Firefighters said the plane was flying from Portland, Oregon, to an airport in Ontario, 38 miles east of Los Angeles.
The call to divert was made after oxygen masks deployed in the cockpit and the two-person crew had reported smoke and a burning odor to flight controllers.
The diversion of the MD-11F was termed a “major inflight emergency,” requiring a response from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and Sacramento County Airport Fire. The landing, which took place 20 minutes later, temporarily closed the airport to inbound flights. The plane landed with no injuries before the pilot and co-pilot were evaluated and released.