Virgin plane lands at Gatwick after emergency
23.08.08
A Virgin Atlantic plane bound for Barbados was forced to return to Gatwick Airport today after the captain reported a technical problem. The plane returned to Gatwick an hour after take-off but the airline said it was simply a precautionary measure.
The 10:15 Virgin Atlantic flight VS029 landed back in Gatwick about 10:50. Gatwick Airport said the Boeing 747-400 had declared a problem and the fire service had been put on standby. Virgin said the 310 passengers will resume their journey to the Caribbean today at 20:00 on a different plane.
A Virgin spokesman said an investigation into why flight VS29 returned to Gatwick was under way. He said: ‘The captain of the aircraft decided as a precautionary measure to go back to Gatwick. Passengers will be accommodated on another aircraft. Virgin Atlantic apologises for the inconvenience caused and the delay to passengers' journeys.’
A spokeswoman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said they had been notified but were not investigating the incident.
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