Allegiant settles with pilot fired over emergency evacuation

Allegiant Air is settling a lawsuit filed by a captain who was fired after ordering an emergency evacuation when smoke was detected coming from one of the plane's engines.

Allegiant and a lawyer for Jason Kinzer declined comment Tuesday on terms of the confidential settlement reached just before a scheduled trial in a Nevada court.

In 2015, Kinzer circled back to St. Petersburg, Florida, shortly after takeoff. He ordered an evacuation after an emergency worker reported engine smoke. Allegiant said it wasn't necessary to evacuate, and several passengers were hurt on escape slides.

The incident received extensive coverage and was the focus of a CBS "60 Minutes" report in April that questioned safety at Allegiant.

Kinzer's lawyer says his client is now an instructor at American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air.