LCY closed due to "chemical incident"
 

Sky is reporting "breaking news" that London City Airport has been closed after a fire alarm sounded in the terminal about 16:00 local and passengers started feeling "unwell." Incident is now being attended by Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade. Hazmat is on site for what is termed as a "chemical incident."About 500 people were evacuated from the premises. Latest report from the ambulance service is 26 people treated and two taken to hospital. Flights are being diverted to other London airports.

Apparently nearby building works could have caused it. Hopefully it's nothing sinister.

Either way if I were in London now I'd be avoiding public transport and busy areas. Just in case it's the start of something bigger.

Does LCY have different rules from other airports when it comes to pax standing under wings?

From the TV footage I saw, everyone seemed to be mighty close to the terminal building. Might it not have been safer to move them away from all that glass and concrete ... there were no arriving or departing planes to run them over if they had been moved to the other side of the apron/runway ... but what do I know!!

Everything about LCY is mighty close. Especially on a Friday afternoon when there's simply too many PAX in the terminal. It's a hot airless sweat box. Concern will quickly turn into agitation and then panic next thing someone smashes an alarm point.

The airport was declared "safe" at about 19:00, with police finding what they think might be a CS gas spray.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said they are not treating the case as "terrorist related".
The force statement continued: "A search of the airport led to the discovery of what is believed to be a CS gas spray.
"Whilst the cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed, officers are investigating whether it was the result of an accidental discharge of the spray."

Sky now reporting the CS gas found was apparently discarded by a passenger "prior to check in." Nevertheless, security remains high given the discovery of a suspicious package at North Greenwich tube station recently.

I'm now in London, hoping it all holds together for my flight out tomorrow...

When you've got a large crowd of people and, presumably, not many people controlling them, rules go out the window.

Given the option of standing in the rain or ignoring a man in a hi-vis vest and standing under shelter, I know I'd be remaining dry.

Ha ha! You'd remain dry until the fuel poured out of the wing and you were covered in kerosine. Then you'd be in the local A&E. Trust me, I've seen it happen more than once. (This is why you shouldn't stand under the wing).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZD-k0Gp2gc

Why are people getting exercised about standing under wings? Is it somehow harmful or dangerous? How bizarre!

If pax are evacuated to airside in the rain do you really expect trivial minor regs like not walking under the wing to be retained? I'd love to see some little Hitler in a yellow florrie try to enforce that. Sometimes common sense takes precedent, even over Magenta Line Pavlovism or the blinkered H & S fanaticism we seem to have suddenly developed here.

Fuel pour out of wing my @***. I've never seen that in 35 years - and do you suppose they'd still be refuelling with an emergency on?

Some people really need to leave their flourescent jackets behind occasionally.

:ok:
This is all a bit silly, to be honest.

I have a happy memory of standing under a Vulcan during a downpour at an airshow.

I have.

Sitting in a 747 at Sydney, taxiing for take-off.

When the crew's attention was drawn to this by a passenger we were all taken off and put on a replacement plane some hours later. Which did leave me wondering how often this happens without being reported by a passenger.

GtW, rather different circumstances to a parked aircraft on the ramp. Seeing fuel "leak" from the wing during taxi is actually not all that uncommon. Seen it a few times myself. Try comparing apples with apples if you want to make a point!

Trouble is people get 1 drip of jet A1 on them & next thing compensation is required.
Unless you know where the vents are don't stand under the wing.

What is the opinion of Pprune surfers of a personal cs spray discarded in a trash can causing 26 people to need treatment. Seems odd to me.

1) Hitler
2) Common sense
3) Pavlov
4) Blinkered
5) Health and Safety
6) Fanaticism

You score six points on the Daily Mail scale - in two sentences! That's some achievement noflynomore :ok:;)

Permafrost

It seems you missed "Magenta Line", but I guess that's more of a PPruNe thing. It's prolly best the average DMailer doesn't know about that.

IcePack

It seems odd to me as well. I've had canisters of CS I kept in my vehicle due to one rogue "rescue" dog I had who could be a concern in a runaway situation. (It was intended for the dog if I needed to keep him from a person or other animal he might bother on a walkabout.) I've given them to my wife for self defense. All the canisters I've had have all had a locking system to prevent accidental discharge.

I've taken a dose of CS before in "training" and found it quite unpleasant.

Standing under wings
 

You really do need some technical knowledge here. If there is an hydraulic heat exchanger in one of the wings, then any ice forming due to cold soak during the previous flight will rapidly melt and fill the back of your neck with ice cold water. :{
Bin there, dunnit!