British Airways flight chaos as smoke fills cockpit and passengers left terrified | Travel News | Travel
Pilots were branded heroes after mystery fumes filled the cockpit of a Scotland-bound plane on Saturday night. The British Airways crew were forced to wear oxygen masks in the cockpit as they declared an emergency and diverted the plane back to its original destination, London Heathrow.
The quick-acting pilots managed to contain the fumes within the plane, but passengers were scared as the “dramatic” scenes unfolded. A source told The Sun: “It was terrifying. Passengers were scared and feared the worst but the pilots were heroes. They had to wear oxygen masks because they were not clear what the odour was. They ensured the fumes didn’t spread throughout the cabin.”
The plane had to abandon plans to head to Aberdeen Airportand emergency crews “lined the runway” as the plane came in to land at Heathrow. “It was very dramatic,” the source added.
Firefighters were reportedly seen waiting to board the plane as emergency services monitored the situation.
British Airways said standard procedures were followed after a “technical issue” on Saturday night aboard the Airbus A319. The plane later resumed its flight, taking the rattled passengers to Aberdeen.
This Airbus model has a capacity of 124 to 156 passengers, although it is unknown how many were on board on Saturday night.
A similar issue happened last April on a flight bound for Heathrow from Dulles International Airport in Virginia, reports The Mirror.
The Boeing 777 reportedly suffered a bird strike on its engine, causing smoke to enter the cabin. It diverted to Boston Logan International Airport, where it landed safely around 7.30pm local time.
The incident appeared less stressful than an event in August 2019, when smoke filled the cabin of a BA plane shortly before landing in Valencia. Passengers reported feeling terrified as they had to evacuate down emergency chutes.
A statement from the airline said the Airbus A321 had “experienced a technical issue” as it approached Valencia from London Heathrow. Three passengers were taken to hospital and were since discharged.
