Roads were closed around the Owen Roberts International Airport just after midday Tuesday after the pilot of the AA2173 flight en route from Miami to Panama asked to make an unscheduled landing.
The Boeing 737 aircraft , which had 150 passengers on board, touched down safely just before 1pm.
A spokesperson for American Airlines said the passengers were waiting at Owen Roberts International Airport for another plane to come and complete the journey.
The flight left Miami at 11.58am and had been scheduled to arrive at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City at 1.55pm.
The spokesperson said: “American Airlines flight 2173 from Miami to Panama diverted in Grand Cayman because of mechanical issues with the flight. It landed without incident at 12.53pm.”
She did not have details of the nature of the mechanical issue said in such cases it was up to the pilot to decide if it was safe to continue on to the destination or make an unscheduled landing.
A spokesperson for the Cayman Islands Airports Authority confirmed that a full emergency alert had been called, but had no further details at press time.
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Two thumbs up for the pilot in making a decision of safety first. Very good. I certainly believe where flying is concerned that these kind of decisions should be made. Remember a plane is not like a car. If a car stalls we can coast or push to the next corner. Congratulations to the pilot and his crew, and thank God he had angels onboard.