Some passengers question jet's safety after latest Alaska Airlines problem

RENO, Nev.- A string of similar problems with MD-83 jetliners - including one that forced an Alaska Airlines jet to return here Saturday night shortly after takeoff - has some passengers scared about flying the model.

The Seattle-bound jet's problems with the tail-mounted horizontal stabilizer were similar to those reported before Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific on Monday, killing all 88 people aboard.

An American Airlines MD-83 on Tuesday also was forced to return to the Phoenix airport shortly after takeoff because of problems with the horizontal stabilizer.

There were 140 people onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 631 when it made the unscheduled landing at Reno-Tahoe International Airport Saturday.

A replacement plane left later Saturday carrying 93. None of the people who stayed behind could be reached for comment Sunday.

But the problems with the MD-83 jetliners were on the minds of other passengers awaiting flights Sunday at the Reno airport.

"As of today, I would not go Alaska. Their problems concern me," Elias Carrillo of Phoenix said while waiting for a Southwest flight to his hometown.

"That particular model has a problem," he said. "What are they doing to resolve it? I would want to know they're taking steps to fix it before I flew Alaska."

David Allen of Pittsburgh, who was awaiting a Northwest flight back home, shared his concerns.

"Anytime you're up in the air, you want to have a good security level knowing that you'll take off and land safely," he said. "It seems to me that these things go in threes and I just hope it doesn't happen again today."

Virgil Brezak, who was aboard the Alaska Airlines jet that returned to Reno, urged the Federal Aviation Administration to take immediate steps to resolve the problem.

"They either need to have better supervised maintenance or take these planes out of commission until the problem is fixed," he said shortly after the unscheduled landing. "A life is worth more than a few bucks."

But Linda Dixon of Seattle, who was to fly Alaska Airlines back home Sunday night along with her husband, said she's unfazed by the problems.

"We aren't concerned," she said. "The odds (of avoiding a crash) are still much better flying over driving. I don't hold this against Alaska. Accidents happen. If my time is up, it's up. It's in God's hands."

A Los Angeles man who would only identify himself as Josh said he also had no qualms about taking the Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle on Sunday night.

"It doesn't affect me," he said. "I didn't pay any attention to the story (about the Reno problem). The odds of plane crashes are slim. I feel confident."

Dave McDonald of Steamboat, Colo., who was awaiting a Southwest flight to Salt Lake City, said the problems don't bother him, either.

"If you heard about an auto wreck on the freeway, would you not get on the freeway?" he asked. "I think they (problems) are a coincidence, not something that happens on a regular basis."

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