Newsstand - U.S.-bound United Flight diverts to Keflavik

Original article on Morgunbladid's website:

http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/07/20/vel_united_lent/

English version: http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/07/20/united-airlines-emergency-landing-at-keflavik-airport/ (I can actually read enough Icelandic to know this basically says the same as the Morgunbladid piece)

BREAKING NEWS: United Airlines Emergency landing at Keflavik Airport

By Jarrett Iovine on Jul 20, 2009 in General, Iceland, MBL, Travel and Leisure

Today at around 14:00 GMT a United Airlines Boeing 767 diverted to Keflavik Airport in Iceland and declared an emergency. According to sources, the airplane had smoke in the cockpit and cabin. There were 200 passengers on board the airplane. The airplane was en route from Europe to the USA. No reports of injuries have been made.

The captain announced that there was smoke coming from the cockpit and requested an emergency landing in Keflavik. The passengers are being moved into the Leif Eiriksson terminal at Keflavik Airport. It is not sure whether the airplane will continue on to its destination in America or not.

Keflavik airport is the main international airport and gateway into Iceland. It is located 50km west of the capital city of Reykjavik. Mainly airliner planes land at Keflavik. Most airlines that perform transatlantic flights between the USA and Europe and the other way around usually divert to Keflavik if needed to, due to its geographical location.

according to this article it was united 949 lhr-ord

http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/07/20/united-airlines-boeing-767-passengers-safe-after-emergency-landing-in-iceland/

Keflavik, Iceland: At 14:44 local and GMT time (2:44pm) at Iceland’s largest international airport and gateway airport to the country, Keflavik, a United Airlines Boeing 767-300 made an emergency landing. The United Airlines Flight Number 949 flying en route London Heathrow to Chicago O’hare (ORD) when the flight crew and pilots witnessed smoke coming from the cockpit. As per standard procedures, the pilots declared an emergency and diverted to the closest airfield from the present location which was Keflavik, Iceland.

The pilot then decided to clear everyone off the airplane. Icelandair Ground Services (IGS) handled the passengers and moved them into the terminal while the airplane is being checked and serviced to find out what the problem is. According to Fridthor Eydal, Public Relations Liason at Keflavik Airport, all passengers are safe without any injuries or fatalities. After finding out what caused the problem, the media will be the notified.

The United Airlines boeing 767-300 Flight Number 949 touched down safely at 14:44 on runway 02 (runway heading northerly) and parked and evacuated passengers on taxiway K-1 (kilo one), according to sources at IGS. As stated above, all passengers are alive and no injuries have been reported. The plane departed London Heathrow at 12:39pm local time and flew for 3 hours and 5 minutes until touching down at Keflavik.

Keflavik Aiport is the main international airport of Iceland. Most jet airline operators service Keflavik including Icelandair, Iceland Express, Lufthansa, Esotnian Air, and other airlines. Keflavik often serves as a fuel stopover for private planes en route to and from USA and Europe. It is also common for planes that need to divert due to any reason to land at Keflavik. Keflavik is located roughly 45km west of the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik.

and there is a picture from the article as well as well

http://www.mbl.is/frimg/5/4/504443.jpg

Wait it minutes? This is where UA diverted to KEF due to make declared emergency landing? I know Iceland is very extremely cold weather all of the time. So is that fire department will have check to find any evidence cause of the smoke infection. So hopefully the passengers will continuation the journey to ORD shortly after the maintenance crew will have to be inspected the aircraft.

Every so often somebody here asks if there's a way to get frequent flyer credit with any major alliance for flights to Iceland. Perhaps this is the answer? :)

\I know Iceland is very extremely cold weather all of the time.


It was a pleasant 75 degrees when I went there in the summer a few years ago.

Wait it minutes? This is where UA diverted to KEF due to make declared emergency landing? I know Iceland is very extremely cold weather all of the time. So is that fire department will have check to find any evidence cause of the smoke infection. So hopefully the passengers will continuation the journey to ORD shortly after the maintenance crew will have to be inspected the aircraft.

No, Iceland isn't actually that cold. While one wouldn't go there to work on their tan (the 75 degrees that MileageAddict experienced only happens once or twice a summer, IF they're lucky), an average summer day will peak at about 60, give or take a couple of degrees, with a really nice one at around 65-68. In Winter, the temps won't go below 20 that much and the highs are usually around 30-35 (albeit with a stiff wind...).

So hopefully the passengers will continuation the journey to ORD shortly after the maintenance crew will have to be inspected the aircraft.

I've got a sneaky suspicion it's going to take more than a short amount of time to get those slides repacked. I'm actually surprised they were even used unless the plane was filling up with smoke after landing.

I've got a sneaky suspicion it's going to take more than a short amount of time to get those slides repacked.

Perhaps those particular slides, but I would imagine it would be fairly easy to fly in replacement slides from the nearest US maintenance base and have them installed. I doubt that slides would ever be repacked at other than a central maintenance base anyway.

I'm actually surprised they were even used unless the plane was filling up with smoke after landing.

It's not clear to me that slides were used at all. From the picture, it's quite clear that airstairs are at door 1L, and it's hard to tell what's at 1R. Since the passengers appear to still be on the tarmac and haven't yet been bussed to the terminal, this picture presumably was taken soon after the landing and evacuation. Is it possible that the captain asked for airstairs in addition to the emergency equipment? I've never heard of such a thing before, but what do I know. Certainly, any captain knows that any slide evacuation will result in several minor injuries at the least, so if airstairs are readily available, perhaps sometimes they'll wait for them rather than order a slide evacuation. If signs of smoke or fire persisted, he can always change his mind and order a slide evacuation at any time.

(duplicate post deleted)

It was a pleasant 75 degrees when I went there in the summer a few years ago.

Ah, gotcha!! Thanks. I didn't realize know that. I thought it was very cold weather all year-round.

No, Iceland isn't actually that cold. While one wouldn't go there to work on their tan (the 75 degrees that MileageAddict experienced only happens once or twice a summer, IF they're lucky), an average summer day will peak at about 60, give or take a couple of degrees, with a really nice one at around 65-68. In Winter, the temps won't go below 20 that much and the highs are usually around 30-35 (albeit with a stiff wind...).

Gotcha and thanks! I didn't even know that before. So is that very cooler weather condition during in this summer time. I would likely go to KEF to explorer to see beautifully weather and mountains. I am never been there before. What is more specific things for my experience the trip to Iceland.

It's not clear to me that slides were used at all. From the picture, it's quite clear that airstairs are at door 1L, and it's hard to tell what's at 1R. Since the passengers appear to still be on the tarmac and haven't yet been bussed to the terminal, this picture presumably was taken soon after the landing and evacuation. Is it possible that the captain asked for airstairs in addition to the emergency equipment? I've never heard of such a thing before, but what do I know. Certainly, any captain knows that any slide evacuation will result in several minor injuries at the least, so if airstairs are readily available, perhaps sometimes they'll wait for them rather than order a slide evacuation. If signs of smoke or fire persisted, he can always change his mind and order a slide evacuation at any time.

1R looks very much like air stairs to me. I do not think that slides were used.

1R looks very much like air stairs to me. I do not think that slides were used.

No, I don't think so. I believe that they didn't declared the emergency slides off the aircraft. They did bring the airstairs to take it down on the ramp where the fire engines came nearby the aircraft. They will have to check to made sure it is something is wrong inside the cockpit.