Thanks!

Well, sorry to dampen all the (lovely) jokes about the wasps ... Cause of the evacuation was smoke in the cockpit.

http://avherald.com/h?article=4068c293

Servus, Simon

The problem was that the Captain was heard to say over the radio "Heck, it swarm in here...." - thus causing the summoning of the beekeepers from the Crawley Lady Apiarists Society, led by the redoubtable Polly Nation. The skipper's greeting of "Hi, honey..." only compounded the confusion as the ladies waxed lyrical about nectar nothing at all.

OK, got coat...........

Oh guys! Beehave!

Use of smoke is a well-known method of calming bees. So, evacuate the passengers, introduce the smoke into the aircraft, and a very well sorted end result. My, their training's comprehensive, never covered that in my day!
Congratulations, Captain!

Did you say it happened on the old GBee Beehive side of the airport ?

This is a little spooky. I helped a friend in Guernsey to smoke out a swarm of bees from his house chimney yesterday morning,(12th) then came back to Gatwick on GR604. Anyone know what reg. the ATR was?

Oh well.

Plan B then

You mean "Plan Bee"?

Polly Nation? She's a bit of a honey, but slightly waspish, if I remember rightly.

At least the ATR was on the ground, if not it might have had to return and buzz the airport.

Steady folks, you're opening up a hornets nest here.:\

I'll get my coat :p

It would seem that the smoke was nothing more than a drop of oil getting into the bleed system on start up. There where no insects involved as far as I know. G-BWDA got the pax home.

G-BXTN was flying the LGWs AM today.

G-BWDB is in Aurigny's A-N hanger at GSY having major overhaul

ATR 42 G-CDFF doing charter work.

other ATR42 G-SSEA also in for refit.

So got caught short this time. Usually there would be a standby plane and crew for such things as this.

Oh well
 

.......these maintenance matter aren't the BEE all and end all you know...

Half the fleet in the hangar??? Is this an indication that the ATR is a has-BEEn?

NO.... AYLINE has become BEELINE :p

Rumor is that Sting was one of the passengers on the flight.....

I tried to get some inside info shortly after it happened but was told to Buzz off.:}

Seems to Bee-coming a habit.......major delays and a cancellation again today. Looks like G-BXTN is the only Aurigny ATR up and running this P.M.

I hope they were wearing their yellow & black striped Hi-vis jackets if they evacuated onto the ramp area !!!:)

this would make a good B movie!, someone should give Spielberg a buzz.

Looks like similar (same?) thing happened yesterday morning to GR600 - engines run up, then cut - shortly followed by plane being approached by 3 fire engines (I know, I was watching from roadside as it was so darn foggy wanted to make sure other half got off rock- they did, after over 5 hour wait). Heard radio traffic about pilot reporting smell of smoke in cockpit. Passengers disembarked, those with onward connections transferred to Flybe, rest waited until aircraft fixed.......when do the new ones arrive?