4 September 2014

AIRCRAFT STORIES - 'People were screaming to get the children off': Panicked passengers forced to escape from smoke-filled cabin via plane wing after fire prompts emergency landing






'People were screaming to get the children off': Panicked passengers forced to escape from smoke-filled cabin via plane wing after fire prompts emergency landing


  • Passengers on Jet2 aircraft spoke of panic after smoke filled cabin
  • Some climbed out onto wing of the plane and others left via emergency exits
  • Aircraft flying from Ibiza was forced to land at East Midlands Airport

By EMILY PAYNE FOR MAILONLINE
A plane returning from Ibiza was forced to make an emergency landing after an electrical fault led to smoke filling the cabin. 
Passengers spoke of their panic after a plane was forced to land at East Midlands Airport following reports of a fire on board the Jet2 passenger plane.
Some passengers climbed out on to the wing of the aircraft after it landed at around 9.10pm on Wednesday. Others left via emergency chutes.
'An acrid smell of smoke' filled the Jet2 aircraft said one passenger, forced to leave via an emergency exit
'An acrid smell of smoke' filled the Jet2 aircraft said one passenger, forced to leave via an emergency exit
Malcolm Yates, from Lincolnshire, said there was a 'strong electrical burning smell' in the cabin and people were screaming.
Mr Yates said while in the air, the plane appeared to be hovering. He claimed the intercom then failed and there was no communication between cabin staff and passengers.
'When we did come into land, it was quite erratic,' he said.
'We soon saw the fire engines lined up. The lights were all out. Then the doors didn't open. People started to panic.
'You could smell the burning, a strong electrical burning smell. That's when people started to panic. Screaming 'get the kids off!''
Flight LS644 landed at East Midlands Airport and the plane was evacuated due to smoke filling the cabin
Flight LS644 landed at East Midlands Airport and the plane was evacuated due to smoke filling the cabin
One woman claimed her son managed to break a door and get out on to the wing of the plane.
Diane, who did not give her surname, was told about the drama by her son Greg who was aboard the plane with his girlfriend Julie.
Diane said: 'There were lots of fire engines and ambulances on the tarmac waiting for it to land.
'Greg said to Julie 'we are in big trouble' and he said the smell of fire was vile, just dreadful.
'The crew wouldn't open the doors because they hadn't been given permission.
'Greg said some how or other he was going to open a door.
'He managed to open a door and he and Julie got out and jumped off the wing of the plane.
'There were lots of children and old people who were very, very frightened.
'It was chaos, everyone was running and screaming.' 
Adrian Pepper, 44, from Mickleover, said: 'As we came into land we aborted and had to pull back up and circle round again.
'When we came into land there was no communication as the PA system seemed to be broken.
'When we eventually landed we taxied down and we could see all the fire engines and ambulances.'
Mr Pepper said that they were forced to use the emergency exits to leave the plane and that an 'acrid smell of smoke' was evident as the left the plane.  


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk


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