Costa Rica-Miami flight makes emergency landing in the Caribbean

An American Airlines plane flying from Costa Rica to Miami on Thursday morning made an emergency landing on Colombia’s San Andres Island, local Caracol TV reported, citing civil aviation authorities.

Smoke in the Boeing 757’s cabin forced the pilot to detour and land on the island, located near Colombia’s northern coast, Caracol reported.

None of the 179 passengers on board Flight 1024 were injured, the report added.

Firefighters, medical staff and airport crews assisted in the emergency landing. Passengers were taken to a boarding area of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport.

Airline personnel are evaluating the aircraft and staff is flying from Colombia to assist in the investigation.

San Andrés is a coral island among the Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea located 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Providencia. The Colombian archipelago is approximately 750 km (470 miles) from the Colombian mainland.