First Choice 763 diverted to lajes on route to sanford
 

is there any information around why this flight was diverted, left LGW as normal on Thursday I thought.

Might just have just been a fuel stop.

I thought that but over 20 hours late

Lajes is a military airport
 

You dont go to lajes unless you have problem

Having not enough fuel is a fairly big problem in my book !

Smoke in cabin...

I take it you have heard that was what the problem was.

If that is the case do you know what aircraft it was of their 763

Aircraft was G-OOBM

PHOTOS ON OF LANDING AT LAJES ON:

http://www.spottersblog.com/kirkwallairport/friends

Mr Beach,

Wrong! Lajes is a combined civil and military airfield. Military north of runway and civilian terminal south side. I know, I have flown in and out of there many times.

Runway at Lajes is 15/33 so military is NE and civilian is SW (more or less!)

So would I be right in saying that there is a military bit?

A civilain bit?

A runway?

Some buildings, that kind of thing?

How about fences, trees. Windows! Any windows in the buildings? (assuming there are buildings of course).

This has got to be a conspiracy:suspect:

Just to ask a quick question if I may. Would this route be the regular one for First Choice as I thought most Sanford Flights went up the North Atlantic Track ?

Thanks.

TFAME
 

Not sure what you mean when you use the expression "The North Atlantic Track", because there's more than one track and they are not in the same place every night.

In a nutshell there are designated North Atlantic Tracks which change on a half daily basis to cater for traffic flow( Westbound Daytime, Eastbound nightime) and the position of the jetstream(s). You normally end up with around half a dozen published Atlantic Tracks and depending on the Tracks on the night it's perfectly possible this flight was on one of the Southerly Tracks. It's also perfectly possible the flight was crossing the Ocean on a non-NAT route, otherwise known as a Random Track.

......and from my experience flying to that part of the world you are more often than not on a random track as the organised track systen usually ends up too far north to suit flights to florida/bahamas/carribean etc., therefore Lajes often comes into play as a suitable ETOPS diversion.

Smoke in Cabin
 

I heard this was caused by a coffee spill on IFE not being cleared

Air Tours divert to the Azores. Smoke in cabin caused by IFE
 

Air Tours divert to the Azores, smoke in cabin caused by IFE.
Apparently this happened last week w/c 12 Nov 2007. Have you got any more information / news on this divert, thanks :)

Not the same type, but the FAA has just this week issued an AD mandating that all 737s have a seperate switch in the flightdeck to switch off power to the IFE. Maybe after this event it will become mandatory on all types.

Here is a direct link to the First Choice photos from Lajes.

http://www.spottersblog.com/ruimigue...vergreen..html

Whatever track he was on I think is quite irrelevant. Have known FCA 767 out of cancun, to head up to Miami, And turn NE direct route to Shannon before now.

Pretty sure they would be ETOPS certified anyway, so doesn't that put a fuel stop out of the question, as normally UK to SFD is a non stop job, unless it's a dog-leg sector.

Will we ever know??? probly not:cool:

Dear Spotters

FCA and indeed other UK charter aircraft will normally use Nat Tracks en route to and from Orlando/Cancun etc but if off to the wider Caribbean they will normally use random tracks will take them fairly close to the Azores hence the suitability of Lajes and Santa Maria.