Passenger Alerts EasyJet Crew to Wrench in Flap
Passenger Alerts EasyJet Crew to Wrench in Flap
An passenger who happened to an be aviation expert onboard an EasyJet flight may have helped avert an emergency situation in the air when he alerted the crew to a wrench that was lodged in the wing flap. There is a possibility that if the plane took off, it could have caused structural damage to the aircraft and required an emergency landing, or much worse.
The incident happened while the aircraft was taxiing at Geneva airport.
Genève: Il voit un outil coincé dans l’aile et bloque le décollage https://t.co/zLAs6xnV5z pic.twitter.com/FgsO7zC6aP
— 20 minutes (@20minutesOnline) March 10, 2016
According to Independent:
The crew was alerted and the flight was stopped to allow inspections to take place.
The flight was allowed to continue on its planned journey to Copenhagen, Denmark, an hour later.
“I realised straight away that what I was seeing was not normal,” the passenger, 25 year-old Christophe from Switzerland, said.
“There was a spanner stuck in the wing!”
An EasyJet spokesman made a comment to the Daily Mirror, saying,
“In line with our procedures, the Captain took the decision to return to stand. A spanner was discovered and removed and the flight departed with a small delay. EasyJet has launched an immediate investigation and informed the Swiss safety authorities in accordance with our procedures. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is our highest priority.”
Thankfully this aviation expert happened to be on the flight and made sure to say something to the crew. It may have turned out that nothing would happen, but it is very possible something could have happened on this flight. Awareness is always a good thing, regardless of where you are and what you are doing. In this case, “See something, say something” may have saved the airline a lot of trouble, or even casualties. Good job to the passenger who informed the crew of his observation.
