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In September 2006 an EasyJet Airbus A319 lost its electrical system, causing a number of the plane's systems to become ‘degraded or inoperative’.
For around ten minutes, the plane's transponder signal was also lost, rendering the plane invisible to air traffic control radar. The flight, from Alicante to Bristol was carrying 138 passengers and six crew. The crew had to fly the plane manually without flight instruments or radio and was flown closer to another aircraft than is allowed. Having decided not to change his flight plan in case the aircraft was considered hijacked and possibly hostile, the pilot continued on course and landed the plane safely.
This is revealed in the latest report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch who have made a number of safety recommendations as a result of the incident.
The flight crew are to be commended for their professionalism, but one does wonder what might have happened during those ten minutes the plane was invisible to air traffic control and, assuming a fighter plane had been sent up to investigate, how on earth could the pilot have communicated the problem to it.
With 144 people on board, it doesn’t bear thinking about.
.
In September 2006 an EasyJet Airbus A319 lost its electrical system, causing a number of the plane's systems to become ‘degraded or inoperative’.
For around ten minutes, the plane's transponder signal was also lost, rendering the plane invisible to air traffic control radar. The flight, from Alicante to Bristol was carrying 138 passengers and six crew. The crew had to fly the plane manually without flight instruments or radio and was flown closer to another aircraft than is allowed. Having decided not to change his flight plan in case the aircraft was considered hijacked and possibly hostile, the pilot continued on course and landed the plane safely.
This is revealed in the latest report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch who have made a number of safety recommendations as a result of the incident.
The flight crew are to be commended for their professionalism, but one does wonder what might have happened during those ten minutes the plane was invisible to air traffic control and, assuming a fighter plane had been sent up to investigate, how on earth could the pilot have communicated the problem to it.
With 144 people on board, it doesn’t bear thinking about.
.
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