Cincinnati flight emergency shown in ‘60 Minutes’ Allegiant investigation

An investigation by “60 Minutes” found more than 100 serious recent incidents involving mechanical issues with Allegiant Air aircraft.

Between Jan. 1, 2016 and the end of Oct. 2017, "60 Minutes" found more than 100 serious mechanical incidents, including mid-air engine failures, smoke and fumes in the cabin, rapid descents, flight control malfunctions, hydraulic leaks and aborted takeoffs, CBS reported.

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The story featured an incident of a flight from Cincinnati to Las Vegas. When the plane took off, one of the engines blew and the aircraft had to circle around before making an emergency landing back at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Allegiant issued a statement to CBS News before the story aired, and alleged in an internal memo that the segment was a “false narrative.” In that memo, the airline blamed a terminated employee who is “currently engaged in a lawsuit seeking money damages against the company.”

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