KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No injuries have been reported after the pilots of an American Airlines flight landed at Kansas City International Airport after reporting smoke in the cockpit.
A Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department spokesperson said crews received the call to respond to the airport around 3:23 p.m. after the pilots on American Airlines Flight 5318, with service from Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. to KCI, radioed in their report.
The plane, a CRJ-900 with 76 customers and four crew, landed without incident.
After coming to a stop, passengers were evacuated from the plane to allow firefighters to investigate the cause of the smoke report.
Evacuated passengers were transported by Kansas City Aviation Department buses back to the terminal.
Among the passengers was Republican U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann (Kansas-District 1) who took to social media to thank first responders, the flight crew and KCI staff.
Our flight into Kansas City just made an emergency landing after the cabin filled with smoke. Thanks to our first responders, pilots, flight crew, and MCI staff, everyone is safely evacuated on the tarmac. pic.twitter.com/yzSsOhxC7c
— Tracey Mann (@RepMann) May 15, 2026
The KCFD spokesperson said fire crews were not able to locate the source of the smoke.
"The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we are sorry for their experience," an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to KSHB 41 News.
KCFD crews started to clear the scene just after 4 p.m., with KCI operations returning to normal.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
