Cabin pressure problem causes Ryanair Bristol flight emergency
26.08.08
An emergency onboard a Ryanair aircraft flying from Bristol Airport to Spain has left 16 people in hospital. The flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing in France following a loss of cabin pressure. The plane landed at Limoges International Airport, in central France, at 23:30 last night as a ‘safety precaution’, Ryanair said, adding the passengers were taken to hospital for ear problems.
A five year old Boeing 737-800 operating Ryanair flight FR9336 was flying to Barcelona-Girona Airport in Spain from Bristol, when a 'brutal depressurisation' forced the aircraft to descend 8000 metres in 5 minutes, police said. The budget airline described the incident as 'an in-flight de-pressurisation incident which caused the oxygen masks to deploy.'
Of the 168 passengers and seven crew, 16 were taken to hospital with minor eardrum problems, emergency workers said. Ryanair dispatched another aircraft to Limoges, which departed at 03:30 with 127 people who were happy to continue their journey with the budget airline. The remaining passengers were expected to continue on to Girona by coach today.
Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary defended the actions of flight FR9336's crew during the incident, which have been criticised by passengers. He also denied passenger claims that the oxygen masks had not been working.
A spokesman for the airline said that its engineers have inspected the aircraft overnight and have confirmed that the oxygen masks which deployed were working properly. The Irish and French Aviation Authorities have been notified of this incident and a full investigation of this incident will be undertaken later today.
While an investigation is ongoing with the French and Irish Authorities Ryanair will not comment further on this incident.
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