AUDIO: Wildfire smoke impacting Philly flights
A thick layer of wildfire smoke blanketed the Philadelphia area on Thursday, reducing visibility and raising concerns for pilots flying into Philadelphia International Airport.
Air traffic control audio captured an exchange between the crew of American Airlines Flight 2536 and the control tower as the aircraft approached the airport.
"We are starting to pick up some ash on our windshield. Has anyone else been reporting that?" a pilot asked.
"No, that's the first one. How long?" an air traffic controller responded.
"Yeah, I've never seen it stick to the windshield like this," the pilot replied.
"Yeah, it's the first time I've actually ever heard about it," the controller said.
In response to the smoky conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration said it slowed the rate of flights arriving at Philadelphia International Airport because of reduced visibility.
The smoke was carried into the region from active wildfires burning in Canada.
