Alaska Airlines/SkyWest Flight Diverts To Salt Lake City After Pilot Says He Can’t Land In Jackson Hole

Summary

• A SkyWest Airlines pilot, operating a flight on behalf of Alaska Airlines, told passengers he was not qualified to land at Jackson Hole Airport (JCA), so the flight was diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).
• However, the former carrier clarified that a paperwork error caused the diversion.
• The Embraer E175 eventually found its way to JCA.

An

Alaska Airlines

flight, operated by its regional affiliate SkyWest Airlines, was forced to divert from its destination. The pilot told passengers that he was not licensed to land at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC).

However, SkyWest Airlines clarified the situation, stating that a paperwork error forced the Embraer E175, registered as N170SY, to divert.

Circling around JAC

According to the history of the flight on Flightradar24, the

SkyWest Airlines

E175 was operating Alaska Airlines flight AS3491 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to JAC, with the return itinerary being scheduled on the same flight code.

On August 8, the E175 departed SFO at 9:09 local time (UTC -7) and was scheduled to arrive at JAC at 12:47 local time (UTC -6).

While the aircraft departed SFO and continued to cruise toward JAC at 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) without any issues, as it began its approach into the airport, the E175 entered a holding pattern southeast of JAC.

A user on the social media network Reddit shared their story about the flight, stating that the pilot allegedly told passengers onboard the E175 that he was not qualified to land at JAC.

“Hey, I’m really sorry folks but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City Utah. We’ll keep you posted on the next steps.” the Reddit user quoted the pilot as saying.

SkyWest acknowledged that flight 3491 diverted to

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

but said that the flight “continued to Jackson Hole after a delay while a new pilot was secured to operate the flight.”

Paperwork error

The SkyWest Airlines E175 landed at SLC at 12:47 local time (UTC -6), taxiing safely to the gate area.

Flightradar24 data showed that the same E175 departed SLC at 14:22, finally landing at JAC at 15:03.

According to a statement by SkyWest Airlines, which was operating the flight on behalf of Alaska Airlines, the flight was diverted to SLC to amend a paperwork issue related to the pilots.

The regional carrier added that all pilots were qualified to fly the

E175

aircraft which operated the flight from SLC to JAC. However, the airline emphasized that an internal administrative error and a cautious approach caused the diversion.

The carrier apologized to customers and added that it has begun an internal review to ensure such events do not happen again.

Challenging environment

According to JCA, the airport was unique and has presented a challenging environment for pilots. Furthermore, it is the only airport in the US located within a National Park.

“The airport’s runway elevation is 6,451 feet and subject to the frequently changing weather that is associated with a mountainous airport.”

As a result, pilots should prepare for landings at JCA. The airport recommends that flight crews familiarize themselves with all available information before operating a flight from/to JCA.