'Sheer panic' in plane evacuation

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 19 Oktober 2012 | 19.21

19 October 2012 Last updated at 06:49 ET
Passengers evacuate a plane using chutes

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Passengers are forced to use emergency chutes to evacuate the 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.

Four passengers were taken to hospital and another 13 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.

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Flights affected

  • 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."

Emergency services tend to a plane after an emergency landing

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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.

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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 doing 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.

Strathclyde Police said that 17 people were hurt during the incident, with four being taken to hospital and 13 being treated at the scene for minor injuries.

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

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.

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.

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