Jet flies halfway across country on battery

CHICAGO, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Pilots of an American Airlines Seattle-to-New York flight flew as far as Chicago on backup battery power before making an emergency landing, investigators say.

The Boeing 757 skidded off a runway at O'Hare International Airport on Sept. 22, the National Transportation Safety Board said. None of the 192 people aboard was injured though the pilots had only limited ability to control the jet at that point.

The NTSB said the pilots flew on backup battery power for long beyond the 30 minutes that their emergency handbook said the batteries would last.

The pilots had switched to battery power shortly after leaving Seattle when electrical problems developed. Although the batteries are good for about half an hour, the pilots continued toward their destination until the jet's electrical systems began failing about an hour and 40 minutes later, USA Today said.

The pilots told investigators they had difficulty raising and lowering the jet's nose and felt they had only one chance to land, the NTSB said.

"They should have landed as soon as practical," said Michael Barr, an instructor at the University of Southern California's Aviation Safety and Security Program. "I don't see why they thought they could fly all the way across country on their backup electrical system."