Bad news when bits of the plane fall off while flying. And, depending on which side you’re on, either better or worse when a reporter is on the flight to document the scene.
Our @cityjet to Florence bang on take off and forced to turn back after part of the wing fell off. pic.twitter.com/INe1LVCmUe
— Cole Moreton (@ColeMoreton) May 15, 2014
The good news is that the flight landed safely and passengers were put on to a new plane 2 hours later. And, in typical airline form, the company downplayed the significance of the incident.
A statement from CityJet: ‘The WX 281 flight had just taken off from London City Airport on its way to Florence when the cover of the operating mechanism on the wing became partially detached. The crew followed their standard procedures and, after a discussion with CityJet Maintenance Control, decided to return to London City Airport. Air Traffic Control were notified and the aircraft returned making a normal approach and landing. Passengers were re-directed on another aircraft and departed with a two hour delay.’
And here’s what the flight route looked like on the map (via FlightRadar24):
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As someone who just flew from London to Florence less than two weeks ago, I’ll say this: I’m glad it wasn’t on a CityJet flight! 😉