Passengers injured amid Glasgow airport plane evacuation

Several people were injured on Friday during the evacuation of a jet at Glasgow airport.

Travel Insurance News - 22/10/2012

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Several people were injured on Friday during the evacuation of a jet at Glasgow airport.

The incident took place early in the morning after the Jet2 Boeing 737 had left the departure gate and was preparing for takeoff. The cabin of the Alicante-bound flight reportedly filled with smoke amid take-off roll, prompting flight crewmembers to abort and initiate an emergency evacuation via the jet’s emergency chutes.

Six people were taken to hospital and more than a dozen were treated for minor injuries at the scene, according to reports. Numerous flights were delayed after authorities closed the runway for nearly three hours; normal operations resumed at around 10:00am.

In an interview with BBC reporters, one passenger described the evacuation scene as “sheer panic”, noting that many travellers began to run for the exits after crews shouted to get out of the aircraft. The man, who was travelling with his family, said his wife was in tears as she went down the chute and that he held his nine-month-old daughter to his chest as he slid away.

Another passenger said that the smoke “swirled” into the jet right as the pilot had initiated takeoff, but when captain noticed it he immediately throttled back and applied “the hardest” breaking he had ever felt in his life.

Authorities said an investigation into the incident is underway.

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