>> SMOKE IN THE CABIN, ENGINE
FAILURE, THESE ARE SOME OF
THE EMERGENCIES BEHIND MORE
THAN 100 UNSCHEDULED LANDINGS
AT JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT OF
COMMERCIAL, MILITARY AND
GENERAL AVIATION PLANES.
>> Mary: SINCE 2014 THERE
HAVE BEEN 131 EMERGENCY
LANDINGS HERE.
NEWS4JAX FOUND A COMMON
DENONE NATUROR AMONG THEM,
AGING PLANES, SOME MORE THAN
30 YEARS OLD, TARIK MINOR
SPENT WEEKS INVESTIGATING
THESE EMERGENCIES AND LEARNED
PART OF THE REASON IS THAT
OUR AIRPORT IS A SAFE PLACE
FOR PILOTS TO LAND WHEN
THEY'RE FACING A POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS SITUATION.
>> SMOKE IN THE KOKH PIT,
SMOKE IN THE CABIN.
>> Reporter: UNTENANTDOWN
ANNOUNCEMENT LIKE THAT TOOK
PLACE.
THE PILOT FORCED TO DIVERT TO
JACKSONVILLE.
>> YOU CAN SMELL A LITTLE BIT
OF AN ELECTRICAL BURN.
OTHER THAN THAT THE PILOT AND
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DID A
GREAT JOB.
>> Reporter: PASSENGERS SAY
IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING
PLASTIC IN THE CABIN.
THE PLANE CARRYING 136 PEOPLE
SAFELY EVACUATED.
THE FEBRUARY FLIGHT IS ONE OF
131 EMERGENCY LANDINGS IN THE
PAST THREE YEARS AT
JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
A CLOSER LOOK AT FLIGHT
DIVERSIONS TO JAX REVEALED 57
EMERGENCY LANDINGS IN 2014.
44 IN 2015.
AND 30 FROM JANUARY TO
MID-JULY OF THIS YEAR.
OUT OF THE 131 EMERGENCY
LANDINGS, 115 WERE WHAT THE
AVIATION AUTHORITY CONSIDERS
AN ALERT TWO INCLUDING
ANYTHING FROM EK INFAILURE TO
FAULTY LANDING GEAR OR LOSS
OF CABIN PRESSURE.
>> AND ALERT 2 IS YOU HAVE A
PROBLEM THAT COULD LEAD TO A
CRASH.
>> Reporter: ATTORNEY
GENERAL ED BOONE WHO IS ALSO
A PILOT EXAMINED THE LIST OF
EMERGENCY LANDINGS AND FOUND
THE MOST TROUBLED AIRCRAFT IS
THE McDONNELL DOUGLAS
M.D.80.
HE SAYS MOST OF THE PLANES
ARE SEVERAL DECADES OLD.
>> THE AIRPLANES INVOLVED
WERE OLDER EQUIPMENT BEING
OPERATED BY THE AIR LINES
THAT ARE OLD ENOUGH TO START
HAVING RELIABILITY PROBLEMS.
YOU WANT TO CAREFULLY
DISTINGUISH THAT FROM SAFETY
PROBLEMS.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THEY'RE
UNSAFE BUT AS THEY AGE
THEY'RE FLYING SOME EQUIPMENT
THAT IS 20, 25 YEARS OLD.
SOMETIMES AS OLD AS 30 YEARS.
>> Reporter: THE AVERAGE
AGE OF A U.S. COMMERCIAL
PLANE IS ABOUT 14 YEARS
ACCORDING TO THE AIRLINE
MONITOR.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO
MENTION WHILE AN ACTUAL PLANE
MAY BE DECADES OLD, ITS
CONSTANTLY SERVICE ANDENCE
MAJOR SYSTEMS COULD HAVE BEEN
RECENTLY MANUFACTURED OR
UPGRADED.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF
THE AIRLINE THAT YOU FLY?
JET BLUE'S PLANES ON AVERAGE
ARE 8.7 YEARS OLD.
AMERICAN AIRLINES 10.9 YEARS
OLD, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 12.3
YEARS OLD.
UNITED 13.8 YEARS OLD.
FOLLOWED BY DELTA AIRLINES,
17 YEARS OLD.
PLANES WITH ALLEGIANT HAVE AN
AVERAGE AGE OF 21 .6 YEARS
OLD.
>> WHEN YOU HEAR THE AIRLINES
OFFERING INCREDIBLE DEALS
IT'S LIKELY BECAUSE THEY
PURCHASED AN OLDER AIRLINE TO
FLY YOU IN.
>> I THINK SO.
THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY OFF THE
LAST MINUTE --
>> Reporter: BOON TOOK US
UP IN HIS PIPER AIRCRAFT.
EXPLAINING OTHER REASONS WHY
JACKSONVILLE'S AIRPORT IS ONE
OF THE BEST IN THE REGION FOR
PILOTS WHO ARE FACED WITH AN
INFLIGHT EMERGENCY.
>> LOOK AT THE AIRPORT.
THAT IS JAX INTERNATIONAL.
NO OBSTRUCTIONS, COMPLETELY
CLEAR FOR MILES AROUND.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
PUT AN AIRPLANE, A CRIPPLED
AIRPLANE THAT IS A WONDERFUL
PLACE TO DO IT AND THERE IS
NOTHING LIKE IT NEARBY.
>> Reporter: JAX HAS
EXTREMELY LONG RUNWAYS AND
CLEAR APPROACHES.
A WORLD CLASS RESCUE
DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH THE AIR
NATIONAL GUARD STATIONED ON
SITE PROVIDING PILOTS WITH
ALL THE SUPPORT THEY COULD
NEED.
IN THE MIND OF A PILOT IF YOU
ARE OVERJACKSONVILLE AIRPORT
AND YOU HAVE AN ISSUE, YOU
ARE HAPPY THAT YOU ARE OVER
JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S 10,000 FOOT RUNWAY, GOOD
CRASH FIRE RESCUE SERVICES.
WE NOW HAVE A HOSPITAL DOWN
THE STREET THAT IS OPENING
SOON AND SO YOU GOT
EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER
NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY.
WE EVEN HAVE U.S. CUSTOMS
HERE.
>> Reporter: OUR
INVESTIGATION ALSO FOUND A
NUMBER OF AIR NATIONAL GUARD
PILOTS LANDING WITH AN
EMERGENCY.
OUT OF THE 131 EMERGENCY
LANDINGS HERE, 34 INVOLVED
F-15'S.
F-15 PILOTS REPORTED FIRE IN
THE COCKPIT, FLIGHT CONTROL
ISSUE, HYDRAULIC AND BRAKE
ISSUES.
ACCORDING TOED COMMANDER OF
THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD THE
FIR F-15 FLIGHT WAS IN 1972.
THE AIRCRAFT IS AGING AS
WELL.
AND MAY SOON BE PHASED OUT.
THE F-15 BEHIND ME ARE ABOUT
35 YEARS OLD ON AVERAGE.
SO THE, HOW LONG THEY WILL
LAST AND HOW LONG THE AIR
FORCE IS WILLING TO SUSTAIN
THE WEAPONS SYSTEMS IS REALLY
UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT.
>> Reporter: A SPOKESPERSON
FROM THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD
PROVIDED THIS ADDITIONAL
STATEMENT REGARDING OUR
INVESTIGATION.
THERE ARE 23 F-15'S CURRENTLY
ASSIGNED TO THE 125th
FIGHTER WINK AT JAX.
ALL TOTAL THOSE PLANES FLY
2600 SORTIES A YEAR, SO 31
FLIGHT DIVERSIONS REPRESENTS
A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF
FLIGHTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO NOTED
ONGOING SAFETY CONCERNS OR
MAINTENANCE ISSUES, IN FACT
OUR F-15'S ARE AT A HIGH
HISTORIC RATE FOR BEING RATED
MISSION CAPABLE.
THE FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD IS
MAKING A PUSH TO
JACKSONVILLE'S POLITICAL AND
BUSINESS LEADERS TO BRING A
NEW ADVANCED JET FIGHTER TO
JACKSONVILLE, THE F. 35 WHICH
COULD RESULT IN A PHASE OUT
OF THE F-15.
>> Mary: WERE YOU ABLE TO
FIND A CONNECTION BETWEEN AGE
OF AIRCRAFT AND THE NUMBER OF
EMERGENCY LANDINGS
NATIONALLY?
>> Reporter: STATISTICS
DON'T SHOW THAT BUT ED BOOTH
SAYS YOU WOULD BE MORE LIKELY
TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY LANDING
IN AN OLDER VERSUS A NEWER
AIRCRAFT.
>> KEY WEST AND VIRGINIA ALSO