The SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has confirmed that an outbound commercial airliner had to make an emergency landing at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park on July 12. The plane was not damaged, nor was anyone injured.
The British Airways flight en route to London Heathrow was carrying 429 passengers and 24 crew members and had to turn back to OR Tambo soon after approaching Limpopo.
The SACAA said its accident and incident investigations division (AIID) is gathering information to determine the reason for the emergency landing. This will form part of a preliminary report to be issued 30 days after the event.
“The process will also determine the size and scope of this investigation,” SACAA spokesperson Sisa Majola said in a statement. Should the AIID identify a critical safety issue, it will issue urgent recommendations to the relevant parties so that appropriate action can be taken to prevent a recurrence.
‘Burning smell’
“Investigations vary in size and complexity and may take up to 12 months to complete. In instances where an investigation takes longer than 12 months to complete, the AIID will issue an interim statement to indicate the progress made up to that point of the investigation,” said Majola.
Aviation news outlet CrewRoom reported that a “burning smell” filled the cabin and apparently caused some of the crew to feel dizzy and disoriented, causing the plane to make the “precautionary” emergency landing in Johannesburg.
The CrewRoom report said some passengers on the flight claimed the crew informed them that the plane’s hydraulics needed to be repaired, forcing the return to Johannesburg. However, according to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft experienced a “fume event” in which potentially hazardous vapours entered the cockpit and passenger compartment.
The CrewRoom quotes British Airways as saying the decision to return to Johannesburg was simply out of caution and due to a minor technical issue. The plane arrived without incident.
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