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Smoke on United plane prompts evacuation

A United Airlines flight from Shanghai, China to Chicago was evacuated on a runway at O'Hare International Airport when a pilot reported smoke in the cabin shortly before the plane's scheduled arrival, a United spokeswoman said.
/ Source: The Associated Press

A United Airlines flight from Shanghai, China to Chicago was evacuated on a runway at O'Hare International Airport when a pilot reported smoke in the cabin shortly before the plane's scheduled arrival, a United spokeswoman said.

One passenger traveling on United Flight 836 on Friday was taken to an area hospital for treatment, said spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said. She did not know the hospital or passenger's condition.

The plane's 258 passengers, 11 crew members and four pilots on board were evacuated with chutes and bussed to an O'Hare terminal, according Gregg Cunningham, a spokesman for Chicago's Department of Aviation.

The Boeing 777 jet was evacuated as a "safety precaution," McCarthy said.

One of the plane's pilots reported smoke in the cabin around 3:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The plane landed minutes later, McCarthy said.

The Chicago Fire Department was called to the scene because of the smoke reports, said spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez.

Officials did not know the cause of the smoke.

"We're doing a complete investigation and working with appropriate authorities," McCarthy said.