Chicago-bound jet makes emergency landing in Iceland

July 20, 2009 The crew and pilots of United Flight 949 reported smoke coming from the cockpit. The nearest airport was Iceland's main international airport in Keflavik.

None of the 200 passengers on board were injured, although they were told to be prepared to brace for a crash landing.

ABC7 spoke with passenger Mark Marshall on the phone:

"It must have been better up front than they had hoped because they never got to the brace point. And we all were braced, but they didn't yell it across the loudspeaker," said Marshall. "And so we landed and then immediately evacuated the plane out on the runway where all the fire trucks and emergency crew were waiting."

The cause of the smoke in the cockpit has not yet been released.

Marshall said the passengers will resume their flight to Chicago Tuesday.

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