NTSB Report Cites Unidentified Chemical Smell In Frontier Airlines Emergency Landing

The National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB
) said in a preliminary report Monday that a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321
made a dramatic emergency landing at Harry Reid International Airport
in Las Vegas on October 5. Flames and smoke erupting from the main landing gear as the aircraft came to a stop raised serious safety concerns.

Chemical odor detected by the crew

According to the NTSB, Frontier Flight 1326 was nearing the end of its route from San Diego to Las Vegas when the cabin crew detected a strong, unidentified chemical odor. The flight attendants alerted the pilots, who soon noticed the same pungent smell in the cockpit. As the situation escalated, the crew donned oxygen masks and initiated emergency procedures to address a potential onboard fire.

The NTSB findings indicate that both pilots described the odor as distinctly chemical in nature, becoming more intense as they neared their destination—the preliminary report details how the first officer observed signs of system degradation during the incident.

Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 at Denver International Airport.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Electrical emergency configuration

The pilots were forced to switch the aircraft into an “electrical emergency configuration,” which resulted in the loss of critical cockpit displays and communication capabilities. The captain was forced to rely primarily on visual references for landing, a challenging task under high-stress conditions. This decision created a challenging environment as the crew worked to land the aircraft safely.

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The report said a witness heard “two loud bangs in quick succession as the tires exploded about 3 seconds after touchdown. Then there was a large screen of smoke behind them and fire around the tires.” Emergency response teams, already on standby due to the declared emergency, quickly arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames using foam.

While no injuries were reported among the 197 passengers and crew members, the NTSB noted that a fault had been recorded in a fan cooling the avionics compartment just two minutes before the emergency was declared. The unit was retained for further examination. The cause of the odor remains under investigation.

Frontier Airlines Airbus A321neo "America's Green Airline" N605FR landing at Harry Reid International Airport.

Photo: christopheronglv | Shutterstock

Smoke and flame can be seen while touching down

Photographs from the NTSB preliminary report show smoke trailing behind the aircraft’s main landing gear and flames behind the left main landing gear. Initial reports from airport fire crews stated a fire on the aircraft’s No. 2 engine, which was extinguished. But the crew was surprised as they received no such indication, the report said.

The NTSB emphasized in the preliminary report that the emergency checklist used by the pilots included protocols for restoring electrical systems before landing, which could have aided the aircraft’s handling during the emergency. This could have included wheel brake anti-skid, engine reversers, and the nosewheel steering system, making the aircraft a lot easier to land without incident.

Frontier Airbus A321neo touchdown

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The NTSB continues its thorough investigation of the incident, focusing particularly on the source of the chemical odor and its connection to the subsequent system failures. The grounded Frontier Airbus
A321, registered as N701FR, remains under examination as authorities work to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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