UAE | General
Smell of smoke forces Emirates flight to return and land in Perth
An Emirates aircraft from Australia turned around and landed safely on Thursday after a burning smell was detected on board.
- Agencies
- Published: 11:51 October 16, 2008
- Emirates flight EK425 carrying 120 passengers from the western Australia city of Perth to Dubai, UAE, returned to Perth and touched down without incident.
- Image Credit: WAtoday.com.au
Perth: An Emirates aircraft from Australia turned around and landed safely on Thursday after a burning smell was detected on board, prompting a frantic search by air crew and fear among more than 100 passengers, the airline and witnesses said.
The cause of the problem on the Airbus A340-500 was not immediately known. Aircraft engineers were investigating the cause of the burning smell.
Emirates flight EK425 carrying 120 passengers from the western Australia city of Perth to Dubai, UAE, returned to Perth and touched down without incident about two hours after takeoff.
Passengers said the pilot announced that a smell of smoke had been reported and he was returning to Perth as a precaution. They reported the smell getting stronger after the plane landed.
“When we landed that's when you could really smell it,'' passenger Tracey Corp said.
“The decision to return to Perth was a precautionary measure one and a half hours into the flight and all passengers disembarked normally after the plane landed,'' Emirates said in a statement.
“Emergency services were activated as per standard procedure but were not required. Safety was not compromised at any point,'' it said.
Passengers described seeing air crew rushing through the cabin looking for a possible fire.
Perth resident Sunny Chopra said he did not smell anything unusual but became worried despite assurances offered by a stewardess.
“She said there was nothing to worry about but the way they were running in the plane ... it raised (alarm) bells,'' Chopra said.
The airline said all passengers were being rescheduled on a later Emirates flight.
Westralia Airports Corp. spokesman Malcolm Bradshaw said fire and ambulance crews were mobilized after the airport's emergency systems were triggered, but he was not aware of the nature of the problem on board.
Dubai-based Emirates operates two direct flights a week between Dubai and Perth as well as flights to other Australian cities.
Share this article
More from UAE General
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week
Latest news
- Universities celebrate UAE National Day
- Brothers' triple success
- Reviving age-old craftsmanship
- Youth reconnect with history
- 24% jump in Emirati students in US
- Fatima: UAE's women are exercising full rights
- Emirates Palace gears up for festivities
- Emerging writers to get networking opportunities
- Ministry of Health sacks employees for forgery
- Al Ain's oryx may hold key to breeding
- Please don't use two parking spaces
- Large crowds join in Eid festivities
- 'Education is a long-term investment'
- Scottish businessman awarded honorary doctorate in engineering
- Giving money is not enough
Community Reports
-
Please don't use two parking spaces
Thoughtless drivers means other motorists are losing out in a city where places to leave cars are often hard to find
-
School buses must do safe drop-offs
Some bus drivers let students off at the wrong side of the road
-
Munching on a health hazard
Residents must be careful about consuming snacks and sandwiches prepared along the roadside as they attract dirt and bacteria
-
Faded signage fails to guide visitors
Reader seeks better upkeep of signboards in green areas
