Listening to the CZEG 0430Z and 0500Z tapes over at liveatc.net you can hear the controller clearing aircraft from the path of the A380 as it dumps fuel at FL370. He says he needs the other planes to be at least 6000 feet below or 3000 feet above the dumping aircraft.
Speedbird Six Bravo Super checks in with a Pan Pan Pan. The controller is a Francophone and has trouble with the Speedbird Etonian accent.
I have trouble with both accents.
Is Speedbird Six Bravo the normal enroute radio callsign of BA 286?
When asked the nature of the problem Speedbird says a 'fume event' which the controller misunderstands as a 'fuel event'. Further discussion clarifies that description and the controller asks if they want to go to YEG or YYC. Speedbird says there is more support and better handling for the A380 at YVR. And too many lawyers in SEA would be my guess.
The controller tries to get more information, confirms that they are Pan Pan Pan but no real emergency as he put it.
When asked what assistance they need on arrival, Speedbird says they need paramedics to meet the aircraft at the gate. They say eleven 'crewmembers' are 'directly affected' by the fumes and a few pax. A little later they say eleven to twelve people total max.
They emphasize that they are fine on the flight deck but will do a fumes on aircraft procedure on arrival.
Souls on board was given as 432 and later as 433 and the estimated landing fuel was 54 tonnes.
After checking, the controller said to plan 08R at YVR (it turned out to be 08L, I'm shocked
).
Listening to the 0600Z CYVR tapes, on checkin with approach they request full length as one might expect with a heavy divert. But, there is no Pan Pan Pan or other explicit mention of urgency.
The pilot on the radio was perhaps on the O2 mask from the sound, probably part of the fumes on aircraft drill.
They were vectored for an ILS to 08L, exited M5 and held to be checked out by the emergency vehicles, then taxied M, J, JA, to Gate 64.
During the checkout at M5 Speedbird was switched temporarily to 126.75 to talk directly to the ground vehicles.