A suspected engine issue on American Airlines flight AAL3131, the Dallas-to-San Diego run, threw San Diego International Airport into temporary chaos yesterday, with departures and arrivals delayed and aircraft stacking up on the airfield. Early accounts labeled the incident a potential engine fire, and air-traffic control briefly put extra measures in place while crews checked out the problem.
According to 10News, the issue centered on American flight AAL3131 and resulted in a ground stop earlier in the morning. As the situation unfolded, the airport’s flight-status page showed multiple departures and arrivals marked as delayed, per SAN.org.
What Passengers And Onlookers Saw
Live local coverage showed jets stalled on taxiways while only a small number of flights continued to get out. The broadcast described the scene bluntly: “Planes are currently backed up on the runway,” as reported by 10News.
Which Flight Was Affected
Flight-tracking data identifies AAL3131, also listed as AA3131, as the standard Dallas Fort Worth to San Diego service. The logs for the March 28 leg and the route’s regular rotations are shown on Flightradar24, which confirms the scheduled DFW to SAN run.
Travelers Should Check Before They Go
San Diego International’s guidance urges travelers to lean on real-time information and to build in extra time whenever operations are disrupted. The airport recommends arriving at least 2.5 hours before departure in these situations. As outlined on SAN.org, passengers are advised to confirm flight status directly with their airline and to plan for longer lines and waits at the gate during irregular operations…