Emergency landing at Athens International

[block52]

Two hours ago a Boeing a/c (Type / operator ????) coming from Manchester with destination Cairo diverted and landed in Athens. Possible pressurisation problems. A few pax hospitalised with ear problems. Any details ??

[glazierflyer]

Being reported as a Jet2 757 with cabin pressure problems.

[philbky]

BBC TV North West News has just reported this as a Jet 2 B757. Five pax hospitalised.

[LBIA]

Hi

The Jet2 aircraft involved in this afternoon's emergancy landing in Athens was Boeing 757-200, G-LSAA and was operating flight charter flight LS2113 from Manchester to Taba-Egypt.

The airline has now positoned out Boeing 757-200, G-LSAH from Manchester this evening as the LS31P to pick the stranded passengers.

[silverhawk]

Well handled non-normal situation by a professional and well trained crew.

[Channex101]

Onboard at the time were you?
How do you know to be 100% sure?

[Flight Detent]

yeah silverhawk...

Well handled, that's why there's 5 pax in hospital with ear related problems.

...manual operation of the pressurization system is not that difficult, I wonder what happened here?

Cheers...FD...:)

[Mr @ Spotty M]

Told both auto systems failed, as said previously manual used and NO rubber jungle drop, so l would guess handled well.

[Capt Claret]

Hospitalised pax does not of itself indicate poor handling of an abnormal.

When training for my first multi-crew command, my Training Capt described manual pressurisation as akin to milking a mouse. He was right.

[MerNion]

Indeed it was a pressurization problem and the flight lost some height due to the rapid depressurization while over Greece. Captain declared an emergency and requested to land in Athens. Plane did a normal landing on rwy 21L at around 15:30L. Here is a picture of it's landing:

http://www.airpics.net/UserFiles/pics/small/G-LSAA-Boeing-757-200-Jet2-com/5450/5438s.jpg (http://www.airpics.net/photo/G-LSAA-Boeing-757-200-Jet2-com/5438/L)

183 passengers and 9 crew were on board.

[learjet50]

Whats all this tread about ??


Sorry to bleet on but this does not warant a Thread
A/C Had a problem OK not an Emergency

Crew handled the situation and landed without incident I Agree pax with Ear problems would have suffered

Stop this stupid Thread and stop knocking Jet 2

They do what they do safley .

They resovoled the sitaution with a spare A/c sent for the Pax

Moderator

Can we plse close this NOW its a waste of space

Regards

[lomapaseo]

Can we plse close this NOW its a waste of space


can't close the thread now, too much interest.

Thanks for keeping the interest up to a fever pitch:}

[Mount'in Man]

Fully support Learjet 50. Bin it before we wind up with another fifty pages of ‘expert’ opinions from the “I am’s”, migrating from the “Turkish airliner at Schiphol” post!

[Flintstone]

yeah silverhawk...

Well handled, that's why there's 5 pax in hospital with ear related problems.

Five passengers with colds who shouldn't have been flying in the first place? Who knows? Best not to guess then petal ;)

[rubik101]

Whilst I have no desire to prolong the agony of this non-event, I would just make one observation about the discomfort suffered by some on board.
The understandable desire to land as sson as practicable after a complete loss of cabin pressure can be the cause of this discomfort. If, as has been reported, the aircraft had made a rapid descent to FL 100 or lower without the rubber jungle deploying, then it appears the crew handled it well.
The subsequent short transit to Athens followed by the approach and landing is what causes the problems. If a normal approach is made then the cabin rates of descent are far more than normally experienced by the people on board. An early descent, maintaining around 500fpm from the cruise altitude to touchdown is desired in this instance.
It might well be that the crew in this instance had followed this procedure, but if you are unaware of the effects on the ear of that last few thousand feet of descent then it is quite possible you would overlook this point.
It would not be the first time that ear drums have been ruptured only a few hundred feet above the ground.

[nannodnai]

Rubik is right about the changed rates of descent affecting the ear differently.

Maybe in future the pre-flight emergency briefing should also include an explanation and a demonstration of the Valsalva manoeuvre ?

[MerNion]

A/C Had a problem OK not an Emergency

The captain (or the F/O, i don't know who had the comms) clearly stated "Request to land in Athens due to emergency", the controller didn't understand all of it and asked back "EXS 2113 are you declaring an emergency sir?" and he replied: "Affirmative madam, declaring an emergency due to height lost after cabin depressurization. Mayday mayday mayday"

It's true though that later while being vectored to land, he said that there is no problem from this time on and it would be a normal landing.. But initially it was clearly an emergency..

[Rainboe]

Considering an emergency descent was required, quite right to declare an emergency with Mayday! It can be cancelled afterwards! Because an emergency was declared initially, it does not mean it has to continue all flight.

So, problem occurs, handled, safe outcome, sorted. End of crisis.

It's depressing to think any problem in the air gets massed ranks of ever-observant Pprune Police out and asking questions, as well as the original problem having to be dealt with!

[Ms Spurtle]

Agreed.

I realise that there's always an issue with speculation and fears that the press are watching.. but it does seem lately that every topic here is greeted with the usual suspects shouting "close this".

It's "Rumours and News"
An emergency was declared. The a/c diverted and pax were hospitalised. If that doesn't warrant a thread.. what does? Loss of life incidents only? :ugh:

[Navigator33]

O they did declare an emergency alright! Twice even.

Heard a "Mayday mayday mayday" twice just before we were transferred.

[haughtney1]

One of the items in the memory actions surrounding a depressurisation is to check the cabin altitude and rate...then try and control it manually..if unable to..you carry out an emergency descent.
So for me its an emergency.

[Baltasound]

It has been a good weekend for Baltsaound's family and flying machine incidents. I was on a flight which turned back to ABZ due to mechanical problems and the Aunt was on this flight.

She wishes to say that the situation was handled very professionally and calmly by the crew and would like to say thankyou to all involved through this forum. :ok:

She was one who suffered ear problems but is ok.

[flyerian]

John Grogan on f/deck. Really experienced pilot and good bloke!

flyerian

[jetty69]

The valsalva maneuver can sometimes cause even more damage than the depressurization. It can cause a burst or perforated eardrum. So its higly unlikly for them to include it the pre-flight safety demo.

[ozthai]

NO rubber jungle drop ????

Strange ??? And potentially more threatening than an earache or two.

I would have thought this would warrant immediate emergency descent without wasting time trying to manually control cab alt.

[squeaker]

If they got on with the descent quickly enough then, depending on the failure, they probably got below 14000' before the cabin alt got that high, thus preventing an auto deployment of the rubber jungle.
Sounds like they did a good job to me!

[Brian Fantana]

ATC exchange can be heard on youtube !!!

YouTube - Jet2 B757 200 over Greece sudden decompression March 2nd 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqUwBsghbzs)

[skysod]

I was pax on this flight, and have to say very well handled as far as cabin crew were concerned, with excellent calm, informative and reassuring PA,s throughout.
There was no panic amongst the Pax, and at no time did I feel in any real danger.
Well done Jet2 crew in turning what could have been a traumatic time for some into a non-event!:D

[Ivan aromer]

Home for tea and buns then! Well done all round.

[Tee Emm]

When training for my first multi-crew command, my Training Capt described manual pressurisation as akin to milking a mouse. He was right

Cor! How about that? Must have been standard Boeing advice. Back in 1977 when I was trying to land the 737 Durassic and overcontrolling the ailerons on final, the American check pilot Joe Ziskovsky used the identical advice of hold it like you are milking a mouse. Having never milked a bloody rodent I still had trouble with wing wiggling until one day I had the bastard beaten (the 737 - not the mouse).