Smoke in cockpit, engine failure: JetBlue flight turns back to Newark, prompts evacuation

A JetBlue flight heading to West Palm Beach returned to Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after takeoff on Wednesday after an engine problem led to smoke in the cockpit, officials said.The incident prompted a temporary suspension of flights and an emergency evacuation of the aircraft.The Port Authority said JetBlue Flight 543 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport at 5.43 pm (local time) on Wednesday but returned shortly afterward due to an engine failure.“The aircraft landed safely, and customers and crewmembers evacuated using the aircraft’s slides,” JetBlue said, as cited by Fox News.“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.”Newark Liberty International Airport said flight operations were temporarily suspended while an aircraft was removed from a taxiway following the earlier incident, before resuming at 7.00 pm (local time), according to the Port Authority.The FAA is investigating the incident.The departures were delayed by about 90 minutes, and the arrivals by more than two hours.