An Alaska Airlines flight from Southern California to Seattle made an unplanned stop in Eugene on Thursday after its crew shut down one of the jet’s engines as a precaution. The Boeing 737 was carrying 161 passengers and six crew members and landed safely at Eugene’s Mahlon Sweet Field, with no injuries reported. Airline and airport officials said travelers would be moved to another aircraft to finish the trip later in the day.
Pilots Reported Low Oil Pressure, Then Shut Down an Engine
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, air traffic control recordings captured the flight’s pilots reporting low oil pressure in one of the engines and saying they had shut down “engine one” as a precaution. The audio also captured the crew telling controllers they had about 90 minutes of fuel remaining before they diverted to Eugene for the unscheduled landing.
Records Confirm the Detour to Mahlon Sweet Field
Alaska Airlines lists Flight 471 as a Boeing 737‑800, registration N597AS, and shows the flight as having arrived after diverting. Flight tracking by Flightradar24 also logs the unscheduled stop at Mahlon Sweet Field. The records show the jet departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County and was headed for Seattle when the crew chose to change course.
Airline Cites Mechanical Issue, Passengers Rebooked
In a statement reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Alaska Airlines said a mechanical issue prompted the diversion and that customers were expected to depart again for Seattle at about 4 p.m. local time. Airport officials said everyone deplaned safely and that maintenance crews would inspect the aircraft before it returns to service.
