Copperfield Emergency Landing

Copperfield Emergency Landing, This was no illusion. No one was injured, but Copperfield said he "kind of freaked out" as the plane descended toward Peoria International Airport around 1:45 a.m. The illusionist had been flying from Las Vegas to New York to appear on the Today show.

"We were 37,000 feet in the air and I recorded (the strange noise) because it was lasting for a long time,'' Copperfield said as he appeared on the show via Skype from Peoria. "I heard this sound (crackling), and it wouldn't stop.....chicagotribune.

I felt kind of freaked out and they told us we have to it go back for our descent. We were going in a spiral with G force, and we finally got to the ground. . .and it turned out there was snow all around.''

Gene Olson, director of the Peoria airport, told the Peoria Journal Star he had no details about the airplane’s problems. He said the landing was not classified as an emergency, which would have prompted priority landing clearance, Air National Guard notification and the rollout of fire trucks.

Instead, the landing was categorized as a diversion, Olson said.

Copperfield managed to tweet during the ordeal.

"Emergency landing," he tweeted. "Everyone is ok. Emergency landing in Peoria, Illinois. So scary. . .  Happy to be on the ground and safe."Magician David Copperfield says he heard a loud, crackling noise while flying to New York in a small private plane Monday morning, then was told the plane would have to make an unscheduled landing in Peoria.