I woke up to this report on the news today......

 

Glasgow Airport: Passenger tells of panic on Jet2 plane

 

Passengers on an Alicante-bound plane from Glasgow Airport have described "sheer panic" after "swirling" smoke in the cabin forced an emergency stop.

Stephen McFadden said "people started running" as the pilot of the Jet2 737 shouted "get out, get out" following the emergency stop at 07:40.

Six passengers were taken to hospital and another 11 were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The runway re-opened at 10:00. An investigation is now under way.

Mr McFadden described how he and his young family had to disembark the aircraft following the emergency stop.

 

Flights affected

• 14 flights delayed
  

• Six inbound flights diverted - two to Edinburgh, two to Manchester, one to Prestwick and one to Aberdeen.
  

• Five flights cancelled - two inbound from London City and London Gatwick and three outbound to Dublin, London City and London Gatwick.
  

He said: "We were careering up the runway and smoke started belting out of all the air vents with a smouldering smell.

"Then the brakes went on and the emergency chutes went out and we were all evacuated.

"I have a nine-week-old daughter and a four-year-old daughter. I had my nine-week-old attached to my chest as I went down the emergency chute and my wife had our four-year-old and was in tears."

Mr McFadden said the scene "was like something out of a movie".

He added: "There was panic, people started running and I shouted 'slow down', and then the pilot shouted 'get out, get out'.

"It was just sheer panic, something no-one would want to go through again."

 

 

The passengers said he and others were now waiting to find out what would happen with their travel arrangements.

"Jet2 need to get it sorted soon or people will start to really complain," he said.

Another passenger, Graham Divers, from Glasgow's Carmunnock area, said: "I was sitting in row 11 and I could smell smoke as we were accelerating hard.

"I looked up. One or two passengers, including myself, had our reading light on and when I looked up to the lamps and the ceiling, I could actually see smoke swirling around and I thought, oops, there's something not right here.

 

By Jim Ferguson, Aviation Journalist

 

I suspect this will have been caused by oil from either the Auxiliary Power Unit or the engine getting into the air conditioning system.

Once the oil heats up it creates smoke and fumes, which can be toxic. Of course, it shouldn't happen, but it does occasionally, perhaps two or three times a year in the UK.

If you are the captain you don't hang about in that situation - you get everyone out immediately, and the aircraft would have come to a stop with quite a jolt.

It is not uncommon for people to be hurt going down the escape chutes. The aircraft has to be completely cleared in 90 seconds, and people are jumping down with their adrenaline pumping, maybe there's a little bit of panic setting in, and you do go down them pretty fast.

Sometimes you go off the end and hurt yourself or bump into other people on the way down, and some of the passengers may have been elderly or infirm.

"We were accelerating very, very hard down the runway at this stage and I was about to scream out to the cabin crew when obviously the pilot realised there was something wrong and he immediately throttled the engines back and put the brakes on.

"It's the hardest braking I've ever experienced in my life."

Following the emergency stop, all 189 passengers were taken off the plane using the plane's chutes.

Alison Pedley, from Stourport on Severn, said stewards "yelled" at passengers "to leave all bags and just jump".

"Although it was a horrific situation there was no panic and everyone remained calm," she said.

"Most injuries, I think, were sustained from landing badly when coming off the end of the chutes, although everyone was so relieved to be outside the aircraft.

"The aftermath was like organised chaos."

Ms Pedley said she had been told that Jet2 would provide another plane for passengers to travel on at 15:00.

She added: "I am travelling on it, although some people, mainly elderly people, have decided not to go."

Crews from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue were called out to assist firefighters based at the airport during the emergency.

Passengers injured

Strathclyde Police said that 17 people were hurt during the incident, with 13 being treated at the scene.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde later said six passengers had been taken to the Royal Alexandria Hospital in Paisley.

Five have since been discharged following treatment. The remaining passenger has been admitted.

A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: "At approximately 07:45 flight LS177 from Glasgow Airport to Alicante was forced to make an emergency stop on the runway just prior to take off.

"The 737-800 Jet2.com aircraft was forced to curtail take off due to smoke in the cabin.

"All 189 passengers were disembarked. Glasgow Airport had to suspend flights until 10am when the runway was reopened.

"This has resulted in delays and passengers are advised to check with their airlines."

Glasgow Airport has confirmed that as a result of the incident, 14 flights have been delayed.

The Jet2 aircraft was preparing to take off on a flight to Alicante

Six inbound flights were diverted - two to Edinburgh, two to Manchester, one to Prestwick and one to Aberdeen.

Five flights were cancelled - two inbound from London City and London Gatwick and three outbound to Dublin, London City and London Gatwick.

A statement from Jet2 said: "This morning's flight LS177 from Glasgow airport to Alicante made an emergency stop on the runway just prior to take off.

"The 737-800 aircraft was evacuated as per standard operating procedures.

"All 189 passengers have disembarked the aircraft and we are aware of 17 passengers with minor injuries who are being looked after by paramedics and our staff on the ground.

"We are currently working with the airport and Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) to arrange for the aircraft to be moved."

BBC Scotland understands that the AAIB has sent three investigators to Glasgow Airport to probe the incident.

Maybe my perception is a bit skewed as I am in this hooby and having flown in real life. When I read this article, I'm thinking "Great job Jet2 crew!". When I actually look at the words as they were written, it makes it sound like a action film with explosions and cars flipping and zombies... with lasers! I'm guessing if non avaiation enthusiasts were in this situation, maybe they would feel terror.

 

The fact that there were no serious injuries and the supposition that the plane seems fine (as they never mentioned any damage to it or the runway) allows me to go with my gut over hyperbole. Great job to the Jet2 crew and I'm glad no one was seriously injured.

Yeah the media always over exaggerates these things. And of course out of the passengers they interview they're going to use the one with the most exciting story.

 

Lee

This matter had already been covered here

Yeah the media always over exaggerates these things

 

Surely not (sarcastic head on)

 

Surely not (sarcastic head on)

 

I'm sure they'll stop just as soon as people start buying boring but accurate newspapers instead of exciting ones

If I was on that aircraft I would have been able to tick one off my bucket list...I always wanted to jump down one of those aircraft chutes, ever since I was a kid I wanted to do that. Call me crazy but I think it would be fun.

 

I agree the media seems to overblown these things. As the article said it was likely burning oil. I was on a subway train twice in my life that had to be evacuated due to one time burning compressor oil and the other was a burning brake drum from brake dust. In both occasions the train goes to the next station to evacuate, the tunnel fills with smoke but people evacuate without panic. The brake drum incident happened one week after the London Subway Bombing so people were on edge, but not panicked.

Hi

Some footage just released on the BBC web site of the evacuation.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-20003986