nclmedic From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2009, 325 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (2 years 7 months ago) and read 20345 times:
'I was absolutely terrified and convinced we were about to die'....seems a slight over-reaction from the passenger who wrote on an aviation website, and considering he didn't even see the incident happen!
SW733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6072 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 19985 times:
flybehubby From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2008, 177 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 19978 times:
love the map of the flight route, i've personally been on a number of MAN-MCO flights in the past and never once has it gone straight over the atlantic. The diversion does look more dramatic that way though!
ChrisNH From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 3806 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 19657 times:
Quoting flybehubby (Reply 4): love the map of the flight route, i've personally been on a number of MAN-MCO flights in the past and never once has it gone straight over the atlantic. The diversion does look more dramatic that way though!
Yes, I thought the same thing! I'm surprised the newspaper didn't call the plane a 737 while declaring that there were 800 people on board.
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4023 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 18443 times:
Quoting SW733 (Reply 3): Well...451 pax...nice load for VS at least!
This time of year, that's pretty good! When I was in MCO a week or two back, I was informed flight 74 was leaving with about 150 open seats, basically typical this time of year for a midweek, and the two LGW flights closer to 200 open seats each. So in one respect it is nice to see VS getting a huge load (try putting 451 pax on to a A330!) but being forced to make a diversion kills any chance of a profitable flight that day.
Quoting flybehubby (Reply 4): love the map of the flight route, i've personally been on a number of MAN-MCO flights in the past and never once has it gone straight over the atlantic. The diversion does look more dramatic that way though!
I flew VS074 once and we came up the eastern seaboard, basically passing over Long Island and Connecticut, then turning over Maine and through interior Quebec/Labrador. I'd imagine a diversion to Gander on this route wouldn't have been so bad. Another time, same flight, I flew over Bermuda and way out over the Atlantic. Obviously Canada would have been a much further diversion if this was the routing.
prebennorholm From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 6019 posts, RR: 55 Reply 7, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 17906 times:
Quoting nclmedic (Reply 2): 'I was absolutely terrified and convinced we were about to die'....seems a slight over-reaction from the passenger who wrote on an aviation website, and considering he didn't even see the incident happen!
If you read the whole article, then it is slightly more complicated.
They were told that they had to land urgently, with no explanation.
Sure such a statement tailored to bring out the sweat on some passengers.
Why didn't the crew just tell the truth, that they would make a stop at Gander to hand over a passenger to the Canadian police?
Even if there might be some stupid reason to keep it secret, then they should know that 99% sure it would be in the press the next day anyway.
Always keep your number of landings equal to your number of take-offs, Preben Norholm
ukoverlander From United Kingdom, joined May 2010, 280 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 17758 times:
Emergency landing? How about diversion...................oh, of course that would sound less dramatic wouldn't it.
CitationJet From United States of America, joined Mar 2003, 2235 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 16843 times:
Quoting flybehubby (Reply 4): love the map of the flight route, i've personally been on a number of MAN-MCO flights in the past and never once has it gone straight over the atlantic.
The plane was 200 nm south of Gander when it diverted. It took just 35 minutes to land. The facts are less dramatic than the story.
SKAirbus From Norway, joined Oct 2007, 1327 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 16344 times:
Unfortunately this is a very common issue in the UK... People getting very drunk at the airport or onboard, saying that they want to "start their holiday with a drink" then get very drunk and in some cases cause incidents similar to the above.
Makes me embarrassed to be British!
Personally I think the UK should introduce a law giving passengers a maximum alcohol limit when boarding an aircraft with the right to breathalise if over-indulgence is suspected. You can't stop people but you can reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents like this.
I guess this would only apply to either UK registered aircraft and/or flights departing the United Kingdom.
Next Flights: LHR-OSL (319), OSL-LHR (321), LHR-ARN (320), ARN-VXO (S34), VXO-BMA (ATP), ARN-LHR (763), LHR-CPH (320), C
Bthebest From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2008, 418 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 16170 times:
Quoting prebennorholm (Reply 7): Why didn't the crew just tell the truth, that they would make a stop at Gander to hand over a passenger to the Canadian police?
Problem is, telling a drunk guy over the plane PA system he's going to be arrested will probably irritate him more.
Make it sound like a technical problem - he might settle down a bit (and hopefully drunk enough he won't realise he's the reason)?
SW733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6072 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 16170 times:
Quoting SKAirbus (Reply 11): People getting very drunk at the airport or onboard, saying that they want to "start their holiday with a drink"
Well it's a British person on an MCO-MAN flight, so it appears he rather wanted to END his holiday with a drink...
Bthebest From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2008, 418 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 16125 times:
Quoting SKAirbus (Reply 11): Personally I think the UK should introduce a law giving passengers a maximum alcohol limit when boarding an aircraft with the right to breathalise if over-indulgence is suspected. You can't stop people but you can reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents like this.
Pilot can refuse to fly any passenger he believes may be unfit to fly without a breath test.
As long as the airline backs him up - nothing passenger can do about it.
Max Q From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3289 posts, RR: 19 Reply 15, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 15581 times:
'charged with mischief'
Must be serious, I do like the Canadian take on things !
The best contribution to safety is a competent Pilot.
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4023 posts, RR: 6 Reply 16, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 15149 times:
So is this passenger a Manchurian or is he a Scouse? I'm surprised the DM didn't mention what section of the UK he is from (obviously it is presumed to be from the north) because obviously that had a lot to do with it. We all know that racist tabloids like to label people from one section of the country or another...
prebennorholm From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 6019 posts, RR: 55 Reply 17, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 15035 times:
Quoting Bthebest (Reply 12): Problem is, telling a drunk guy over the plane PA system he's going to be arrested will probably irritate him more.
Make it sound like a technical problem - he might settle down a bit (and hopefully drunk enough he won't realise he's the reason)?
I see your point. But with 17 crew members on board it should not be a big problem to handle the guy and also tell the other pax without using the PA system what was happening.
Those of us, who have travelled for many years, have too many times got sick and tired of hearing half truth or direct lies from airline crews, when things didn't go exactly according to plan.
In all businesses things screw up from time to time. Also in my business. If I was dealing with the truth the same way as some airlines do much too often, and also did in this case, then I would have been facing unemployment many years ago. (Then at least I would have been travelling a lot less and would have been exposed to less lies from airlines).
Quoting SKAirbus (Reply 11): Personally I think the UK should introduce a law giving passengers a maximum alcohol limit when boarding an aircraft....
Some ten years ago I was seated next to two very intoxcicated gentlemen, I think it was on a TAP flight from LIS to ZRH. Already while taxiing to the runway they ordered beer, and was told to calm down until in the air. As soon as the wheels where up they shouted again.
When the fasten seat belt signs went out, then I left my seat. An FA immediately came up to me and asked where I was going. I told her that I was going to find another seat, and that she should be the last one to ask for the reason. I found a vacant seat three rows further back.
From there I noticed that the two "gentlemen" were served non-alcoholic beer. After 30 seconds, having almost finished the beer, they discovered the "mistake" and complained loudly. All three FA's came up to them, and the biggest of them told them calmly that there would be no alcoholic beer for them on this flight. Well done TAP!
Always keep your number of landings equal to your number of take-offs, Preben Norholm
ukoverlander From United Kingdom, joined May 2010, 280 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 14860 times:
I think it's highly unlikely that the passenger is from North Eastern China.
.......of course on the other hand he could be Mancunian......not of course that you are making any rash generalizations about Scousers or Mancunians (or even manchurians) right?
richierich From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 4023 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 13343 times:
Quoting ukoverlander (Reply 18): I think it's highly unlikely that the passenger is from North Eastern China.
.......of course on the other hand he could be Mancunian......not of course that you are making any rash generalizations about Scousers or Mancunians (or even manchurians) right?
Awesome! It's amazing what a difference one inadvertent letter makes to a word!
calibansa333 From United States of America, joined Sep 2009, 207 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 11014 times:
'Disruptive passengers are rare on Virgin Atlantic flights"
How can disruptive passengers be an anomaly to virgin atlantic? Do these disruptive passengers choose to avoid VS?? I find that quote to be a little ridiculous. These incidents can happen on any airline.
I find this quote to be purely one of marketing and of no fact whatsoever. If I'm wrong please don't hesitate to correct me.
vgnatl747 From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 1492 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 9865 times:
Quoting calibansa333 (Reply 20): How can disruptive passengers be an anomaly to virgin atlantic? Do these disruptive passengers choose to avoid VS?? I find that quote to be a little ridiculous. These incidents can happen on any airline.
I find this quote to be purely one of marketing and of no fact whatsoever. If I'm wrong please don't hesitate to correct me.
I think you're spot on, but any spokesperson would downplay the situation. The last thing you want is for the public to think the opposite. In general, when you consider the sheer number of flights every day, disruptive passengers are rare on any flight. Not to over-generalize the topic, but diversions caused by disruptive behavior don't happen that often.
NorthstarBoy From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1713 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 8185 times:
Quoting nclmedic (Reply 2): 'I was absolutely terrified and convinced we were about to die'....seems a slight over-reaction from the passenger who wrote on an aviation website, and considering he didn't even see the incident happen!
I can see how this kind of confusion can happen, I remember being on a UA flight once from Sin-Nrt and hearing the announcement "Is there a doctor on board?" followed almost immediately by the start of what felt like a rather drastic descent. I assumed based on the first statement that we were diverting when in fact we were beginning our descent into Tokyo. As with the case of VS 74, there was no other information given the passengers following the request for the physician and honestly, it didn't feel like we had been in the air for 6 hours, which is the block time for the flight.
That being said, I'm kind of surprised that the VS crew kept mum about what was happening. My experience on foreign carriers has been that the crews tend to give out much more detailed information to the passengers than the US carriers do. Maybe because the diversion wasn't mechanical in nature they just took the attitude that it's none of the other passengers' business what's going on, but, the diversion coupled with the turbulence obviously led to some passengers connecting the two and deciding that there must be something wrong with the airplane. I hope the captain explained the situation once they got underway again.
I could have elite status if I wanted it, but flying the same airline all the time is boring.
nclmedic From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2009, 325 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (2 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4477 times:
Quoting NorthstarBoy (Reply 22): I can see how this kind of confusion can happen, I remember being on a UA flight once from Sin-Nrt and hearing the announcement "Is there a doctor on board?" followed almost immediately by the start of what felt like a rather drastic descent. I assumed based on the first statement that we were diverting when in fact we were beginning our descent into Tokyo. As with the case of VS 74, there was no other information given the passengers following the request for the physician and honestly, it didn't feel like we had been in the air for 6 hours, which is the block time for the flight.
I can completely see this - sometimes these things can be scary! I just love the way the 'only' quotation the (awful) Daily Mail could find conjures up the picture of panic-y passengers climbing the walls and screaming. All very 'Airplane!'.....!
On an aside to your story, I myself was on a flight between LHR-SFO and the dreaded 'is there a doctor onboard' call went out. I'm a trainee anaesthetist and my partner is a surgeon so thought we'd better do the right thing and volunteer. Very unusally no one else did. Found a gentleman unconscious at the back with lots of talk of 'heart attack' and 'stroke' flying around! I just checked his wrist and he was a type 1 diabetic, so we gave him a big dextrose shot and some food and he came round very quickly. To their credit, it was actually the purser rather than the flight deck that gave a very quick but reassuring update to the cabin. Something along the lines of 'a passenger has become unwell and we'll keep you informed'. The scariest bit about this is the captain wanted to know whether to divert or not. As the passenger had come round, was eating and had a supply of his insulin on him we advised an emergency landing but still pretty nerve-wracking to have that sort of responsibility! My main thought was that stranding the poor guy in the middle of Canada was probably not going to do him much good either!
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