Alaska Airlines milk run flight turns back shortly after takeoff from Ketchikan

This graphic from aviation tracking website FlightRadar 24 shows the path of flight 65, which turned back shortly after takeoff Tuesday morning. (Eric Stone/KRBD)

An Alaska Airlines milk run flight made an emergency landing Tuesday minutes after taking off in Ketchikan.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines says a safety system warned of a potential problem with the plane’s wheel well. The Wrangell-bound Boeing 737-790 turned back about five minutes after taking off “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the airline. The plane landed safely a few minutes later.

Alaska Airlines says mechanics “determined there were no issues in the wheel well.” Flight trackers show the Boeing 737 took off again around 2:20 p.m. — a roughly seven-hour delay.

KRBD - Ketchikan

KRBD is our partner station in Ketchikan. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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