Fire alert forces landing

A “false” fire alarm on board forced a Druk Air flight to make an emergency landing at Calcutta airport on Sunday morning.
“The alarm went off because of a technical fault in the cargo hold. The fault has been repaired,” said an airport official. The Airbus 319 from Paro (Bhutan) resumed its journey to Bangkok at 1.45 pm.
The flight, carrying 107 passengers, had taken off from Paro safely. “Five minutes before it was scheduled to land at Calcutta, there was an alarm in the cockpit, indicating smoke in the cargo hold,” the official added. The pilot immediately contacted Calcutta’s air traffic control, seeking permission for an emergency landing.
A “full emergency” was declared and fire tenders, an ambulance with medical staff, tow vehicles and water tenders were sent to the landing area. The aircraft, however, landed safely at 9.10 am. The passengers were evacuated and the aircraft’s cargo hold was checked by the ground staff. There was no indication of fire. Officials said flights were not disrupted.
02/04/07 Calcutta Telegraph

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Apr 2007, Foreign Apr 2007, Safety Apr 2007