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United Express flight makes emergency landing in Newark

Smoke cockpit newark
Ground crew towed a regional flight towards the gate at Newark International Airport after it made an emergency landing when the crew detected the smell of smoke in the cabin.NBC News

A regional plane bound for Pittsburgh made an emergency landing this morning at Newark International Airport shortly after takeoff after the crew detected the smell of smoke in the cabin.

The smell began in the back of the passenger cabin by the lavatories, said Republic Airways spokesman Peter Kowalchuk.

Republic Airlines flight 4890, operating as United Express, returned to the runway at 11:15, not long after its 10:29 scheduled departure.

All 27 passengers from were evacuated from the plane onto the tarmac as a precautionary measure, said Port Authority spokesman Chris Valens.

After the airport's rescue and firefighting units responded and arrived at the scene, the aircraft was then towed back to Terminal C. Maintenance crews are inspecting the Q400 turboprop, Kowalchuk said. No injuries were reported.

Follow Ben Popken @bpopken.