Was curious if anybody knew the reason for the diversion last night, Sunday, of Icelandair 670, DEN-KEF?

Diverted to BOS, way up around Hudson Bay Canada around midnight. A long way. Probably 1000 miles from Boston. Was on the ground less than one hour and then departed to KEF.

Can’t imagine it was a dire medical or major mechanical emergency with that long a detour south. Also thinking if it was mechanical, it wouldn’t be repaired in less than an hour at midnight. And if we’re something minor mechanical, fixed that quickly, that’s a long divert for something minor.

If were an air rage incident, isn’t there a closer location they could have diverted to in Northern Canada, instead of all the way to Boston? Or would they just be trying to get back on US soil to arrest and prosecute an individual who disrupted a flight? (I checked news today and nothing about an air rage diversion to Boston last night)

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ICE ... /KDEN/KBOS

Apparently something can be done very quickly for them to get back in the air again. My only guess is that is a station for them. Their closest one in the U.S., there are other good spots for them in the U.S. if it was an emergency.

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Was curious if anybody knew the reason for the diversion last night, Sunday, of Icelandair 670, DEN-KEF?

Diverted to BOS, way up around Hudson Bay Canada around midnight. A long way. Probably 1000 miles from Boston. Was on the ground less than one hour and then departed to KEF.

Can’t imagine it was a dire medical or major mechanical emergency with that long a detour south. Also thinking if it was mechanical, it wouldn’t be repaired in less than an hour at midnight. And if we’re something minor mechanical, fixed that quickly, that’s a long divert for something minor.

If were an air rage incident, isn’t there a closer location they could have diverted to in Northern Canada, instead of all the way to Boston? Or would they just be trying to get back on US soil to arrest and prosecute an individual who disrupted a flight? (I checked news today and nothing about an air rage diversion to Boston last night)

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ICE ... /KDEN/KBOS

Straight from the BOS station manager:

Just had to share this with you all..
Sunday November 28th FI670 from Denver diverted to Boston due technical, fortunately we had a 757 in Boston that was to ferry back to Iceland the next day. It was decided that we would attempt a aircraft swap so that we could finish this flight within the crews duty time. We prepared TF-ISJ that was in BOS and had it towed to the terminal gate E4 prior and FI670 from DEN blocked in at 0008 @gate E5.

TF-ISJ ETOPS and daily checks performed, safety and security checks and fueling were all done prior to arrival. Passengers, crew and baggage transferred, FI670 pushed back at 0046, 36 minutes at the gate!. Amazing team work!

I would like to thank the crew and all the ground staff for an amazing job well done... This would not have been possible otherwise..

Best regards,
Sveinn

Thats great work indeed, thanks for sharing this SRQKEF.

Thanks for the info.. Quite impressive they could unload and reload passengers and cargo and be back in the air the in 50 minutes. Especially considering it was midnight.

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Thanks for the info.. Quite impressive they could unload and reload passengers and cargo and be back in the air the in 50 minutes. Especially considering it was midnight.

There aren’t a lot of fish shipped from Denver.

Do we know what the "technical" affecting the original aircraft was ?

Thats impressive for any airline, it wasnt just a simple commuter plane swap it was a decent sized aircraft and having to deal with the international aspect of it as well.

I assume they didnt have to exit/re-enter customs and we're just allowed to de-board and get on the replacement aircraft?

Since the diversion wasn't a "land immediately at the nearest suitable airport" situation, I'm guessing it had to do with something ETOPS related. Some equipment probably failed that wouldn't allow for a legal ETOP flight, so off to BOS.

Yep......impressive operational performance from multiple parties involved.
Always cool to see when they can pull something like this off and things actually go-off right with a lot of complex moving parts in such a highly regulated, high-safety, high security environment with so many entities involved to handle and IROP and dispatch flights.

AndoAv8R wrote:

Thats impressive for any airline, it wasnt just a simple commuter plane swap it was a decent sized aircraft and having to deal with the international aspect of it as well.

I assume they didnt have to exit/re-enter customs and we're just allowed to de-board and get on the replacement aircraft?

Gate layout in Boston is such that the pax almost definitely never even had to enter the actual terminal. Off first aircraft, up a jetbridge, through a door, down a jetbridge and onto the second aircraft. Just a permit to proceed was most likely sufficient for CBP.

Bags are similar. Off the aircraft, into a cart, drive a gate over, and into the new aircraft.

Most airline systems allow you to do a mass transfer of pax. Take all of flight xxxx and move them into yyyy. So no boarding, no boarding passes, etc. Not sure about FI specifically, but generally speaking it shouldn’t be an issue.

overall tremendously lucky that there just happened to another 757 at a station that’s as enroute as you’ll ever find, but also great organization by their people

Maybe someone can clarify/update but I originally thought i read (before Icelandair started flying here) they were/are having maintenance done for the arrival aircraft (has work done on it until its time to go back to KEF the following day)?

Prost wrote:

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Thanks for the info.. Quite impressive they could unload and reload passengers and cargo and be back in the air the in 50 minutes. Especially considering it was midnight.

There aren’t a lot of fish shipped from Denver.

I’m sure there’s eastbound cargo to points in Europe. Whatever anybody wants to ship from DEN or other areas in the region. I know Icelandair carry all FedEx shipments headed to Iceland on their commercial flights. Also, I assum Icelandair likely handles mail going between US and Iceland postal services?

Everything imaginable is shipped by air.

Brick wrote:

Since the diversion wasn't a "land immediately at the nearest suitable airport" situation, I'm guessing it had to do with something ETOPS related. Some equipment probably failed that wouldn't allow for a legal ETOP flight, so off to BOS.

There were so far north, they could have just flown the non-ETOS route if that were the case.

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Thanks for the info.. Quite impressive they could unload and reload passengers and cargo and be back in the air the in 50 minutes. Especially considering it was midnight.

Not that impressive if you keep in mind Ryanair usually has 25 minute turnaround times on their aircraft. Okay, those are 737s and other than some luggage they don't haul cargo but it does include refueling, luggage loading/unloading and boarding.

In this case it was just an aircraft swap, the new aircraft was fully prepared. It had already been refueled before the old aircraft arrived. A 757 is not that much bigger than a 737 and baggage/cargo overloading can be done pretty quick. If they would have done this Ryanair style I think 15 minutes would have been possible.

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Brick wrote:

Since the diversion wasn't a "land immediately at the nearest suitable airport" situation, I'm guessing it had to do with something ETOPS related. Some equipment probably failed that wouldn't allow for a legal ETOP flight, so off to BOS.

There were so far north, they could have just flown the non-ETOS route if that were the case.

It depends. If SFJ - or even YFB - can't be used as an alternate, you're sh*t out of luck.

Flying from North America to KEF without ETOPS is doable, but you need your alternate airport in Greenland to be usable.

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=den-kef,+sfj ... 389&EU=kts

Thenoflyzone wrote:

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

Brick wrote:

Since the diversion wasn't a "land immediately at the nearest suitable airport" situation, I'm guessing it had to do with something ETOPS related. Some equipment probably failed that wouldn't allow for a legal ETOP flight, so off to BOS.

There were so far north, they could have just flown the non-ETOS route if that were the case.

It depends. If SFJ - or even YFB - can't be used as an alternate, you're sh*t out of luck.

Flying from North America to KEF without ETOPS is doable, but you need your alternate airport in Greenland to be usable.

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=den-kef,+sfj ... 389&EU=kts

Not true. You only need stay within 60 minutes of those airports. There is no weather criteria.

Natflyer wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

There were so far north, they could have just flown the non-ETOS route if that were the case.

It depends. If SFJ - or even YFB - can't be used as an alternate, you're sh*t out of luck.

Flying from North America to KEF without ETOPS is doable, but you need your alternate airport in Greenland to be usable.

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=den-kef,+sfj ... 389&EU=kts

Not true. You only need stay within 60 minutes of those airports. There is no weather criteria.

But suppose something happens that they need to divert to those airports and they can't because of weather. Then what.

AirKevin wrote:

Natflyer wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

It depends. If SFJ - or even YFB - can't be used as an alternate, you're sh*t out of luck.

Flying from North America to KEF without ETOPS is doable, but you need your alternate airport in Greenland to be usable.

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=den-kef,+sfj ... 389&EU=kts

Not true. You only need stay within 60 minutes of those airports. There is no weather criteria.

But suppose something happens that they need to divert to those airports and they can't because of weather. Then what.

That is a very old question that no one wants to answer. Least the regulatory authorities. Still legal.

Natflyer wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

pwm2txlhopper wrote:

There were so far north, they could have just flown the non-ETOS route if that were the case.

It depends. If SFJ - or even YFB - can't be used as an alternate, you're sh*t out of luck.

Flying from North America to KEF without ETOPS is doable, but you need your alternate airport in Greenland to be usable.

http://www.gcmap.com/map?P=den-kef,+sfj ... 389&EU=kts

Not true. You only need stay within 60 minutes of those airports. There is no weather criteria.

??? Of course there is.

https://aviation-regulations.com/121.625

^
Usually alternate airport weather minimas are as follows (The following are Canadian air regulations, but it's mostly the same everywhere):

https://tompaul.ca/calculating-alternat ... with-tafs/

Two or more precision approaches available, each providing straight-in minima to separate suitable runways: 400' ceiling and 1 SM vis
One usable precision approach is available: 600' ceiling and 2 SM
Non-precision only: 800' and 2 SM
If no instrument approaches are available: Forecast weather must be no lower than 500 ft above a minimum IFR altitude that will permit a VFR approach and landing.

In the case of SFJ, it's a single runway airport with no precision approach, so minimas are 800-2. YFB is a single runway airport with a precision approach, so weather minimas would need to be 600-2 for that airport to be a useable alternate.