Aging Hair-Metal Bands Escape Trip to Rock & Roll Heaven, Smoking Plane Lands Safely

Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — A private jet carrying rock bands Ratt and Dokken had to make an emergency landing in Moline after smoke was detected in the cabin Saturday afternoon.

Chuck Brennan, a friend of the bands who chartered the flight, told The Associated Press that the plane took off from the Moline airport but pilots had to turn it around when smoke appeared in the front of the plane at about 7,000 feet.

Ratt rockin' "Round and Round" (Credit: Official music video via YouTube)

Dokken in action (Credit: Official music video via YouTube)

Brennan said the pilots donned oxygen masks and landed the Challenger 601 with no incident. There were no injuries reported by the pilot or the 13 passengers.

"The cabin didn't fill with smoke," said Brennan, the owner of short-term lender Dollar Loan Center.

Brennan, a former promoter who opened the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy in his hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D., said he had chartered the plane out of Santa Ana, Calif., for a four-city tour.

Ratt and Dokken, both big names from the 1980s hair metal scene, played in Moline on Friday night with Lita Ford and Sebastian Bach. They were heading to the Chicago suburb of Wauconda for an outdoor show Saturday with Ford, Bach and Warrant.

Brennan said the two bands were taking SUVs to the Wauconda venue and were expected to make it to the show in time.

Who can forget that, many moons ago, Ratt recorded "Round and Round"?

And you might recall that their fellow passengers, Dokken, made some hay back in the day with the penultimate power ballad, "Alone Again":

The fellas may not have all their formerly teased-out hair in 2013, but they're a-okay today and set to rock Wauconda tonight.

You may commence head banging at any time...

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