Easy emergency landing in CGN for security risk

[TBSC]

Easy U2 3246 (LJU-STN, G-EZBW) made an emergency landing in Cologne at 1640 UTC as (according to the first news) a passenger overheard another one talking about a bomb.

[IcePack]

Or talking about a bomba

[TBSC]

The airport is closed since, 10+ diversions so far.

[Herod]

a passenger overheard another one talking about a bomb.

There must be more to it than that. Otherwise it's all too easy.

[safelife]

German media reports aircraft was evacuated via slides

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by TBSC

The airport is closed since, 10+ diversions so far.

Looks like the Easy aircraft is parked near A1 on A, the parallel taxiway to 32R. Departures are coming off 32R at A2 but arrivals seem to still be diverting.

[Goe4]

Three passengers have been detained by the police and a rucksack has been detonated. The other passengers are being questioned by the police. This is according to online newspaper reports.

[TBSC]

German media reports aircraft was evacuated via slides

1R and 4R slides are definitely deployed on the pictures.

[txl]

Developing story

According to German media reports, it was an Easyjet flight from Llubjana en route to Stansted. A passenger reportedly overheard two fellow passengers talk about a "bomb" or "explosives" and informed cabin crew which passed this on to the flight deck. The captain then decided to divert to Cologne, where the aircraft was evacuated via slides. A backpack that had been found but could not be accounted for was blown up by police, Bild reports citing "a witness". No information yet on what the backpack contained. According to police sources, three men with a "direct connection" to that backpack have been arrested. The plane is currently being searched for explosives.

(Take this with a grain of salt, some of it has been reported by tabloids. What we can assume as fact from photos is that the plane is in Cologne and has been evacuated via slides).


Express story with pics

[Joe_K]

Originally Posted by txl

(Take this with a grain of salt, some of it has been reported by tabloids. What we can assume as fact from photos is that the plane is in Cologne and has been evacuated via slides).

There's an official statement from the police in Cologne here:
POL-K: 170610-1-K Verkehrsmaschine landet außerplanmäßig in Köln-Bonn - Verdächtige Flugpassagiere festgenommen | Pressemitteilung Polizei Köln

Basically confirming that passengers alerted cabin crew to conversations with "terroristic content" between 3 men. Captain decided to land in CGN, aircraft evacuated via slides in secured area, 3 men arrested, backpack connected to them examined by bomb disposal personnel who performed a controlled detonation. Backpack (or what remains of it) still being examined, aircraft has been searched with dogs, suspects being interrogated, investigation ongoing.

[G-CPTN]

Who pays?

Easy insurers?

[txl]

Update

Media now reporting that police says they didn't find any explosives or residue thereof. The three men arrested are British citizens without any priors or connections to terrorism. They were on a business trip and are to be released today.

Also, some passengers suffered mild injuries during evacuation, one had to be treated in a hospital.

[TBSC]

Who pays? Easy insurers?

Don't think Easy's insurers will pay all companies for the ~20 diversions and cancellations. Dealing with a bomb threat on a taxiway which is blocking the whole airport seems strange.

[atakacs]

Just wondering, how was the "backpack identification process" performed?

Clearly this was an emergency evacuation using the slides and one would hope most (if not all...) hand luggage remained in the cabin.

Did they then send staff to retrieve them and have people identify their belongings? And detonate the one that was not claimed?! Was is somehow scanned before that?

I am all for caution in aviation matters but this one seems a bit far fetched...

[OldLurker]

"The criminal investigation against them has been halted. No evidence was found," a local police spokesman said. "We now believe that there was never any real danger." ... Nothing dangerous was ultimately found to have been in the bag [that was blown up] or on the aircraft.

UK men released by German police after easyJet flight diverted – Reuters, Sun Jun 11, 2017 | 1:46pm EDT

[G-CPTN]

Originally Posted by atakacs

Just wondering, how was the "backpack identification process" performed?

Clearly this was an emergency evacuation using the slides and one would hope most (if not all...) hand luggage remained in the cabin.

Did they then send staff to retrieve them and have people identify their belongings? And detonate the one that was not claimed?! Was is somehow scanned before that?

Bild newspaper said passengers told airline personnel they had heard the men using words including "bomb" and "explosive", and said one carried a suspicious backpack.

[Joe_K]

Reuters adds that "the men (...) carried a book entitled "Kill" with a sniper rifle on its cover" and that the backpack contained "potentially suspicious cables".

[oleary]

Really?

We are now afraid of our own shadows, bin Laden must be laughing in his grave.

[A320ECAM]

Slides deployed for that?

1. Cost of slides being restowed.
2. Cost of diversion.
3. Cost of refuelling.
4. Cost of accommodation for passengers.
5. Cost of police time.

I thought EZY was supposed to be a low-cost carrier? Surely the flight crew must be disciplined for making such an melodramatic decision to evacuate via slides?
Why not a rapid disembarkation? I think there were a few injuries caused by the evacuation as well!

[olandese_volante]

This is what you get when deciding whether or not some random guy might be a "terrorist" is left to the average Daily Mail reader.