Dallas to San Francisco-bound flight makes emergency landing after powerful gust from storm
By APMonday, January 18, 2010
Storm gust diverts Dallas to San Francisco flight
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A passenger plane flying from Dallas to San Francisco had to make an emergency landing on Monday in San Jose because of a major California storm.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner says the captain reported encountering a powerful gust of wind, called a microburst, as the plane began its descent to San Francisco International Airport.
A microburst is an unusually strong downdraft that can induce wind as high as 160 mph. It struck as rain fell on the Bay Area on Monday morning.
Wagner says the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 also was experiencing a throttle problem, so the captain diverted to San Jose as a precaution.
Flight 1965 landed without incident and the passengers were bussed to San Francisco.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) — Southern California authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 100 homes as heavy rains pound a neighborhood just below an area scarred by a massive wildfire last summer.
Authorities fear a number of burn areas could be threatened by mudslides.
Los Angeles County fire Inspector Matt Levesque said Monday that 106 homes in the Paradise Valley area were being evacuated.
Levesque says catch basins designed to keep mud and debris from sliding downhill were full.
Elsewhere, more than 12,000 Southern California residents lost power due the heavy winter storm that could bring up to 1¼ inches of rain an hour.
Two more storms are expected later in the week.
