Newark Liberty International Airport reopened Wednesday evening after an aircraft emergency caused a ground stop, according to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

A plane had to be evacuated, prompting a temporary closure of the airport.

Plane evacuated due to smoke in cockpit

Port Authority said a JetBlue flight bound for Palm Beach, Florida, took off from Newark around 5:45 p.m. The flight then immediately turned around after experiencing engine failure.

The Federal Aviation Administration released the following statement:

“After JetBlue Flight 543 landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport and exited the runway, the crew of the Airbus A320 reported smoke in the cockpit and evacuated passengers via slides. The FAA has temporarily paused some arrivals to the airport and will investigate the incident that occurred around 5:55 p.m. local time. You can monitor real-time airport conditions here.”

JetBlue said in a statement, in part, “Safety is JetBlue’s top priority. We are focused on supporting our customers and crewmembers and will work closely with the appropriate federal authorities to investigate what occurred.”

Sources said there were 122 passengers on board, and one passenger was taken to a local hospital after reporting chest pains.  

Flight operations at Newark were suspended while the plane was removed from the taxiway, according to Port Authority. Sources say the airport is automatically shut down when passengers are evacuated using emergency slides to ensure the safety of the individuals on the runway.

The airport reopened and flight operations resumed around 7 p.m., Port Authority said.

The FAA said travelers should expect delays.  

Passenger shares frightening experience

Passenger Alexandra Svokos told CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman passengers could see and smell the smoke near the cockpit.

“Everybody kind of was looking around, trying to figure out what was going on,” she said.

She said she heard a loud bang, then the pilot came on the loudspeaker to say they would have to turn around and make an emergency landing.

“But we were definitely scared of how we were going to be landing,” she said.

Svokos said they landed smoothly with emergency vehicles surrounding the plane.

“They put down the slides, and we rushed out more or less in a very disorganized stampede, get out and jumped down the slides and got out and ran away from the plane,” she said.

She said she and her fellow passengers were grateful to be back on solid ground.

“People were shaking and panicking, and people were crying,” Svokos said. “You just felt the release, basically, of everyone who had been trying to act calm, and you felt that once we got off the plane.”

Svokos said JetBlue gave her a $12 voucher while she was waiting at the gate to find out if and when she will be rebooked on another flight.

Ground stop leads to delays at Newark

Meanwhile, other travelers and their loved ones had to deal with delays.

“We were going to have to circle for about 40 minutes, ended up being about an hour,” flier Heather Werckle said.

Hans Meulenberg was at the airport to pick up his wife.

“She calls me while she’s still on the plane that they’re going to JFK instead of Newark,” he said. “So I start driving to JFK, and right before Verrazzano Bridge, she tells me that they’re coming this way again.”

As of around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the FAA was reporting some delays of over two hours.