After “unknown fumes” filled the cabin, a British Airways flight from Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) to London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) was quickly evacuated.
On October 8, 2023, at about 16:15 local time, flight BA 475 touched down at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Emergency personnel awaited the aircraft on the tarmac.
One of the passengers recorded video of the incident, which showed several fire trucks and police cars on the runway as passengers waited outside the aircraft.
A passenger initially stated in his post that he was trapped on a plane with a “potential contagion,” but he later clarified that there was absolutely no contagion.
https://t.co/CWy5SMNsuh#DEVELOPING #INCIDENT | It has emerged earlier today that British Airways flight BA475 between Barcelona and London Heathrow was met by fire crews following smoke being detected in the cockpit & cabin.
Read more at AviationSource!… pic.twitter.com/CLBvdv23WF
— AviationSource (@AvSourceNews) October 8, 2023
Another passenger tweeted images and stated that the only information given was that fumes had been found in the cockpit and that some cabin crew had been instructed to strip off after becoming ill.
There was a “suspected chemical leak” on the flight, according to a different passenger who posted a video of the evacuation online.
While the London Ambulance Service claimed it sent a hazardous area response team and three doctors, the London Fire Brigade told the Daily Mail that no elevated chemical readings had been found inside the aircraft.
Nothing like being locked on a plane with a ‘potential contagion’ for an hour and half with no explanation or information. @britishairways @HeathrowAirport pic.twitter.com/xw8YzfEOUF
— Martin Hill (@MartinHill25) October 8, 2023
No information other than smoke/fumes were detected in the cockpit and some cabin crew have been told to strip after falling ill. pic.twitter.com/xomrEPD9dw
— 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙻𝙴 (@JamesCheadle) October 8, 2023
