Allegiant Airlines has settled out of court with a pilot fired for ordering an emergency landing.
Captain Jason Kinzer sued the airline after he was fired a month after the emergency evacuation which he ordered due to the smell of burning.
Kinzer’s lawsuit alleged Allegiant prioritized ‘profits over safety.’
The action was settled just before a scheduled trial was due to begin.
"All matters between the parties have been resolved," Kinzer’s lawyer said.
The pilot was dismissed because he failed ‘to preserve the Company’s assets, aircraft, ground equipment, fuel and the personal time of our employees and customers,’ by the ‘unwarranted’ emergency landing.
‘Acrid smoke or chemical fumes’ were emitted from a mystery source at the rear of the cabin, the suit claimed, leading the pilot to return to St. Petersburg Airport just minutes after taking off.
The airline blamed Kinzer in part for contributing to the scathing TV expose aired on ’60 Minutes’ which highlighted more than 100 ‘serious mechanical incidents.’
These included mid-air engine failures, smoke in the cabin and loss of cabin pressure.
