https://simpleflying.com/american-eagle-bombardier-crj900-evacuated-passengers-smell-smoke-before-takeoff/By
Daniel S Osipov
Published 15 hours ago
On November 26, 2025, an American Eagle flight was forced to evacuate before its takeoff at Philadelphia International Airport. As reported by NBC Philadelphia, the aircraft was a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet operating for American Eagle and was taxiing for its departure to Savannah when a mechanical issue led the crew to perform an evacuation.
All passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft safely and were later reaccommodated onto a replacement aircraft. The aircraft involved was sent into maintenance. While the incident led to no injuries, it comes just a few weeks after the fatal crash of a UPS Airlines cargo plane, which is believed to have been caused by a mechanical failure. Naturally, some passengers are on edge, including some on board this flight. American Eagle flight AA5671 is a daily flight between Philadelphia International Airport and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. On November 26, the flight was operated by N603NN, a six-year-old Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by PSA Airlines, configured to seat a maximum of 76 passengers. The flight was scheduled to depart at 6:44 pm for an arrival at 8:52 pm, but the aircraft was severely delayed on its previous flight.
Reportedly, AA5671 wouldn't begin taxiing until roughly 10 pm. It was headed to Philadelphia's Runway 27L when smoke began filling the cabin. This was detected by passengers and the flight crew, who then stopped the aircraft on the taxiway and subsequently ordered an evacuation. All occupants safely disembarked the aircraft.
From American Airlines:
Statement:
American Eagle flight 5671, operated by PSA Airlines, experienced a mechanical issue prior to departure at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). All customers and crew deplaned, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.
Additional information:
-Flight 5671 was scheduled to operate from PHL to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV).
-Customers departed for SAV on a replacement aircraft.
