RE: EZY737 makes “precautionary landing” at EGNT t
no fear of seeing that on Airline.. have you seen a single camera at either Glasgow or Newcastle?
This is how the Evening Times in Glasgow reported it.
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MID-AIR DRAMA ON GLASGOW TO AMSTERDAM FLIGHT
By Alexander Robertson
A PLANE carrying 140 people from Glasgow to Amsterdam was forced into an emergency landing today.
The drama came after fears a fire had broken out in the galley area of the easyJet plane.
A crew member reported smoke coming from a bin.
The terrified 134 passengers were then told by the pilot there was a fire and he would have to land the Boeing 737 at Newcastle Airport.
Young children cried while other travellers shouted in panic as the plane made a sudden and rapid descent.
The descent from more than 30,000ft took just 16 minutes and the flight landed safely at 8.19am, to be met by nine fire engines and eight ambulances on the runway.
EasyJet said the plane made a “precautionary landing” and it was inspected to find out the cause of the smoke.
It later emerged it was vapour from dry ice.
An easyJet spokesman said: “Firefighters boarded the aircraft while the passengers were still on board and checked it to make sure there was no cause for concern.
“The plane will be checked by engineers and maintenance staff.”
Firefighters checked the aircraft with thermal imaging before passengers were allowed off.
Flight EZY868 had left Glasgow at 7.30am, crewed by four stewardesses and two pilots.
A replacement aircraft was sent to Newcastle from Luton Airport to take travellers the rest of their journey to Schipol Airport. It left at 11.30am.
It was later revealed the scare happened after a stewardess mistook a white plume rising from dry ice for smoke.
The ice is used to keep the crew’s food cool and is routinely dumped in the galley bin once it has been used.
But, on seeing the mist, the stewardess thought the bin was ablaze and turned a fire extinguisher on it.
Easyjet spokeswoman Emma Coulthurst said: “It is usual for the crew to put the dry ice into the bin after it has been used.
“We do not know why, on this occasion, the crew member thought it was smoke.”
Today’s scare cost Easyjet thousands of pounds. As well as doubling the cost of the trip to Amsterdam for the airline, it took one of the firm’s jets out of action for most of the day.
An Air Accident Investigations Branch spokesman said an investigation was underway.
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PASSENGER John Willoughby told today of the “shock and panic” on board the easyJet plane as it made a rapid descent and the pilot announced that there may be a fire on board.
John Willoughby, 31, a taxi driver from Rutherglen, was going on a day trip to Amsterdam.
He said: “We were about 30 minutes into the flight when we started descending rapidly.
“The pilot then told us there was a fire on board and we would have to make an emergency landing.
“There was real shock and panic, though the stewardesses tried to reassure everyone that it was a routine safety procedure.
“There was a guy next to me flying for the first time and he was panicking, shouting and swearing.
“Behind me there were three children aged from two to 10 who were crying … the speed of the descent was hurting their ears.”
Mr Willoughby added: “The pilot reassured everyone and staff on board did their job and put their training into practice. It was very well handled.”
He said the experience had not put him off flying and was looking forward to the remainder of his trip.
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