Sonny Hammond
10th Jun 2011, 16:09
Airliner with emergency lands without incident in Melbourne
After an emergency developed onboard a passenger airliner Thursday, officials at Melbourne International Airport said preparations for its landing couldn't have gone more smoothly.
The Delta flight from Atlanta was approaching the airport after 6 p.m. when its pilot reported a problem with the airplane's wing flaps. Lori Booker, the airport's spokeswoman, said emergency responders scrambled to the runway in five to seven minutes. All hospitals in Brevard County were notified of the potential for mass casualties.
But the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 landed without incident around 6:30 p.m. The airplane can carry up to 155 passengers, but it wasn't known how many were onboard Thursday night.
"It ended exactly the way it was supposed to," Booker said. "This just increases my faith in planes and pilots and airports. It just confirms that everything works."
Technicians were scheduled to examine the airplane and determine whether an actual mechanical problem or a faulty indicator light caused the alarm.
Booker said it was one of the tensest moments "in recent memory" for a commercial airliner landing at the airport. More than three years ago, a lone pilot from Florida Tech experienced problems with landing gear. But she was lone person onboard the small airplane.
A year ago, 39 agencies and 250 people participated in a mock disaster in which a Boeing 757 crashed into the Indian River shortly after takeoff. The drill served as training for rescuers and paramedics, and as a learning experience for people like Booker who deliver information to the public.
"When it's a drill, it's a completely different feeling because you know it's coming," Booker said. "This was just an unfortunate situation that put our emergency system to the test. And we're extremely pleased with the response."
Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110609/BREAKINGNEWS/110609017/Airliner-emergency-lands-without-incident-Melbourne
After an emergency developed onboard a passenger airliner Thursday, officials at Melbourne International Airport said preparations for its landing couldn't have gone more smoothly.
The Delta flight from Atlanta was approaching the airport after 6 p.m. when its pilot reported a problem with the airplane's wing flaps. Lori Booker, the airport's spokeswoman, said emergency responders scrambled to the runway in five to seven minutes. All hospitals in Brevard County were notified of the potential for mass casualties.
But the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 landed without incident around 6:30 p.m. The airplane can carry up to 155 passengers, but it wasn't known how many were onboard Thursday night.
"It ended exactly the way it was supposed to," Booker said. "This just increases my faith in planes and pilots and airports. It just confirms that everything works."
Technicians were scheduled to examine the airplane and determine whether an actual mechanical problem or a faulty indicator light caused the alarm.
Booker said it was one of the tensest moments "in recent memory" for a commercial airliner landing at the airport. More than three years ago, a lone pilot from Florida Tech experienced problems with landing gear. But she was lone person onboard the small airplane.
A year ago, 39 agencies and 250 people participated in a mock disaster in which a Boeing 757 crashed into the Indian River shortly after takeoff. The drill served as training for rescuers and paramedics, and as a learning experience for people like Booker who deliver information to the public.
"When it's a drill, it's a completely different feeling because you know it's coming," Booker said. "This was just an unfortunate situation that put our emergency system to the test. And we're extremely pleased with the response."
Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110609/BREAKINGNEWS/110609017/Airliner-emergency-lands-without-incident-Melbourne