‘Smoking’ easyJet flight gets diverted

AN easyJet flight heading for Bristol Airport made an emergency landing in Birmingham because of smoke and fumes in the cockpit.

There was an “acrid burning smell” and smoke rose to shoulder-height of the two pilots during the flight on May 11 last year, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigation has found.

The Airbus-made plane was en route from Newcastle Airport at 6.30am when the commanding pilot took off his misted-up oxygen mask because he was unable to see the flight instruments.

The report says if he had used his mask’s “emergency pressure” it would likely have removed the condensation.

But he took the mask off, exposed himself to “potentially hazardous fumes” and felt “a little bit wobbly”, though he was well enough to continue.

The AAIB probe into the flight, which landed at Birmingham Airport with no injuries, found dust accumulation in part of the plane “probably” caused the smoke.

easyJet has added a practical demonstration to its mask training, after it emerged the 41-year-old main pilot’s knowledge was “probably incomplete”, despite more than 9,000 hours of flying experience.

The report says the co-pilot noticed a burning smell about 30 minutes after the plane carrying 107 passengers took off.

The AAIB found both pilots had failed to select the emergency pressure option on their masks.

“However, if they both had, even for a short period, it is likely the condensation would have been removed, enabling the commander to keep his mask on and breath 100 per cent oxygen during the remainder of the flight,” the inspector wrote.

“This would probably have improved the physiological condition he reported, which may have been caused by inhaling fumes.”

Airbus has added a cleaning procedure for the TRU in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual.

An easyJet spokesman said: “EasyJet is aware of the report and fully cooperated with the AAIB investigation. Following the investigation we have introduced additional internal safety measures, as a precaution.

“The safety of its passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”