Was Fired After Ordering The Airplane Be Evacuated After An Emergency Landing

An Allegiant Airlines pilot who was fired after making an emergency landing an evacuating the airplane has settled out of court with the carrier, according to the parties involved in the case.

The website Law & Crime reports that according to the office of Nevada judge Joe Hardy, Jr., the case between Capt. Jason Kinzer and Allegiant is now closed. None of the parties would disclose the terms of the settlement.

Capt. Kinzer brought the suit after he was terminated a month after the incident in June 2016. He said he and other crewmembers detected a burning smell in the MD 80 airliner he was flying. The aircraft had just departed St. Petersburg airport in Florida, and Kinzer turned the airplane around. He made an emergency landing back at St. Petersburg and ordered the aircraft evacuated. Fire crews told him after he landed that there was "some smoke on your No. 1 engine."

In transcripts of ATC communications with the airplane, an unidentified person can be heard telling Kinzer twice to "hold off on your evacuation." That person would not identify themselves, and Kinzer ordered the evacuation chutes to be deployed. There were 121 passengers on board, and eight sustained minor injuries while exiting the airplane.

In his suit, Capt. Kinzer said Allegiant was "putting profits over safety."

Allegiant has not commented on the settlement.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report