Emergency landing in Omaha after interphone fault on regional jet

An American Airlines regional flight operated by SkyWest returned to Omaha and made an emergency landing Monday evening after pilots lost communications with the cabin crew and heard knocking on the locked cockpit door, officials said. The flight, bound for Los Angeles from Eppley Airfield, touched down less than 40 minutes after departure after the crew declared an emergency, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The FAA said the pilot declared an emergency because the cockpit crew could not contact the cabin crew. After landing, investigators determined there was a problem with the aircraft interphone system and that flight attendants had been knocking on the cockpit door to try to get the pilots' attention. An American Airlines spokesperson said the pilots mistakenly believed someone was attempting to breach the cockpit after hearing static over the intercom, which the carrier said had been left on by accident.

The regional jet, an Embraer ERJ 175, was met on the tarmac by emergency responders. Photographs and video taken by passengers showed firetrucks and police vehicles near the aircraft and officers boarding the plane after it returned to the gate. Omaha Airport...