Flight from El Paso, Texas, to Chicago turns back twice

EL PASO, Texas – An American Airlines flight from El Paso, Texas, to Chicago turned back twice, apparently because of the same faulty mechanical-problem warning.

Flight 3880 took off from El Paso International Airport two times Monday for Chicago only to return to the airport. The flight had 76 passengers and four crew members on board.

A spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines, Ross Feinstein, says the first return at 2:25 p.m. Mountain time was blamed on a faulty indicator light warning of an in-flight mechanical problem. He says after an inspection found it to be faulty, the twin-jet Embraer E-175 took off again at 3:58 p.m. but reversed course after about four minutes in the air — apparently because of the same faulty indicator.

The aircraft took off again at 6:23 p.m. Mountain time and was scheduled to arrive at Chicago O’Hare International Airport about 10:45 p.m. Central time.