Allegiant 126 Turn Around

Anyone know why Allegiant Flight 126 turned back to the airport yesterday, January 30?

Very odd flight track - it appears it took off from IWA, circled for half an hour, then landed back at IWA, then departed again on the same flight plan 1.5 hours later, arriving in SBN a little over 2 hours late.

flightaware.com/live/flight/AAY1 … /KIWA/KSBN

I was on the flight. The rollout was a bit long then we leveled off and circled the foothills to burn off fuel before returning to Gateway. One passenger required oxygen and nerves were rattled with the announcement ‘there were technical issues on take-off, nothing very dangerous.’

Upon our return we were greeted with a full-array of fire trucks and emergency vehicles.

The technicians were working with the nose gear when we debarked in a second, alternate, plane. I think the later flight to Fargo may have used our first plane.

Right after takeoff we slowed to 207 kts, then 200, later to 169—is that brushing a stall? Clearly, I am not a pilot!

Is there a resource here I might get information on the turn around? It’s very curious. Thanks.

Hard to get info on stuff like this. Heck, Allegiant had a near crash a few years back with the McNeese football team on board where they ran off the end of the runway into the dirt on take off and never could find a report on that. On the slowing speeds, no you were well above stall speed. Guessing at that loaded weight stall would be in 100-110 knot range at take off flaps. Plus when maneuvering around the speeds can drop like that as you turn in and out of the wind. The graph only measures ground speed so it could look like the plane is travelling slower or faster relative to the air than it really is.

If they were working on the nose gear chances are that the nose gear did not retract, the nose gear did not indicate that it was retracted, or that the sensors indicated a hydraulic leak in the nose gear.