American Eagle Flight 5201 took off at 8:13 p.m. Monday, flew to the northern part of Wake County, took a left turn over Falls Lake, and then did a loop over Jordan Lake to line up for the emergency landing 23 minutes after takeoff.
The pilots reported smoke and a burning smell in the cabin of the CRJ-900. A spokesperson for American Airlines said the plane turned back because of "a reported odor."
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An ABC11 breaking news crew at RDU saw the plane surrounded by fire trucks and Wake County EMS ambulances after the passengers were evacuated and walking on the tarmac to buses.
The aircraft landed safely and was taken out of service to be inspected by American's maintenance team.
All passengers made it safely to the terminal, the spokesperson said, and American was working to assist them with their travel plans.
"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and thank our team members for their professionalism," the spokesperson said.
No injuries were reported.
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