El Al Matmid - El Al flight to New York makes emergency stop in Iceland

Odd that this is 'breaking news' a week later.

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Haaretz: El Al flight to New York makes emergency stop in Iceland

El Al passengers flying from Israel to the U.S. spent a night in Iceland last week after an emergency landing. The passengers were put in hotels, and departed 22 hours later.

The plane landed at an airport in northern Iceland after the flight crew and passengers smelled smoke in the cabin. An Icelandic technician traced the fire to a short circuit in a passenger television screen.

The malfunction was repaired, but Israel's Civil Aviation Authority did not give the Boeing 747-400 permission to take off for New York, and sent a certified technician to examine the aircraft.

The technician was flown from a European country, and he arrived the day after the emergency landing. The technician did not find any further malfunctions, and confirmed that the cause of the smoke had been repaired.

The delay disrupted transatlantic flight schedules between Israel and the U.S., and caused El Al financial damage.

The Civil Aviation Authority's insistence on sending its own technician, rather than relying on local services, is connected to the recent lowering of Israel's international flight safety mark, and the efforts to put Israeli airliners back into the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority's top category, said a prominent figure in Israel's aviation sector.

"The Civil Aviation Authority's protocol requires that the malfunction be repaired by a technician who is certified to work on the specific system in question," Avner Ovadia, director of the Transportation Ministry's international department, told Haaretz. "Because no such certified technician was there, takeoff was not authorized until a check was performed by a Civil Aviation Authority technician."

Odd that this is 'breaking news' a week later.

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Haaretz: El Al flight to New York makes emergency stop in Iceland

(...)

The plane landed at an airport in northern Iceland after the flight crew and passengers smelled smoke in the cabin. An Icelandic technician traced the fire to a short circuit in a passenger television screen.

(...)

The delay disrupted transatlantic flight schedules between Israel and the U.S., and caused El Al financial damage.

The Civil Aviation Authority's insistence on sending its own technician, rather than relying on local services, is connected to the recent lowering of Israel's international flight safety mark, and the efforts to put Israeli airliners back into the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority's top category, said a prominent figure in Israel's aviation sector."



1. Are short circuits "in a passenger television screen" something common in the airline industry?


2. Why did this "television screen" experience a short circuit? How is it that it developed so well that the passengers and crew were able to "smell smoke in the cabin"? Was there no fire alarm?


2. I do not understand in what sending an Israeli technician was "connected to the recent lowering" of Israel on the FAA list.


3. The article says that the Israeli technician was sent from an European country. Does the ICAA have many technicians in service in European countries? And why did it take 20 hours to get there?


After the "blocked seats" and the "unworking toilets" come the "short circuit PTVs"........ And what will come next?

2. I do not understand in what sending an Israeli technician was "connected to the recent lowering" of Israel on the FAA list...


It's explained black on white in the article - the CAA has rules and they require there own technician - they want to keep the rules to make sure certain minimum standards are maintained to ensure the FAA puts Israel back on the top list.


3. The article says that the Israeli technician was sent from an European country. Does the ICAA have many technicians in service in European countries? And why did it take 20 hours to get there?


No where does it mention an "Israeli" technician. It says their "own" technician. It is quite possible that he/she was Israeli but not for sure. It could just as well be someone the CAA work with in Europe through an outsourcing agreement.

It's explained black on white in the article - the CAA has rules and they require there own technician - they want to keep the rules to make sure certain minimum standards are maintained to ensure the FAA puts Israel back on the top list.



No where does it mention an "Israeli" technician. It says their "own" technician. It is quite possible that he/she was Israeli but not for sure. It could just as well be someone the CAA work with in Europe through an outsourcing agreement.



1. Meaning that if an El Al plane experiences a technical incident in Beijing, passengers will have to wait for three days until an "ICAA certified technician" arrives..... Or maybe, given the numerous incidents experienced by El Al planes, there are ICAA technicians all over the world, ready to intervene.


2. The concepts "its own technician" and "someone the ICAA works with in Europe through an outsourcing agreement" do not go together; "outsourcing" has a rather clear meaning.......



Btw, not the slightest explanation on the technical incident itself. A "short circuit in a television screen" leading to an emergency landing does not seem to be an usual occurrence. At least to me........

1. Are short circuits "in a passenger television screen" something common in the airline industry?


2. Why did this "television screen" experience a short circuit? How is it that it developed so well that the passengers and crew were able to "smell smoke in the cabin"? Was there no fire alarm?


2. I do not understand in what sending an Israeli technician was "connected to the recent lowering" of Israel on the FAA list.


3. The article says that the Israeli technician was sent from an European country. Does the ICAA have many technicians in service in European countries? And why did it take 20 hours to get there? And yes LY never ever replaced the B744 IFE screens since the plane was put into service in 1994 in Y Class at least.


After the "blocked seats" and the "unworking toilets" come the "short circuit PTVs"........ And what will come next?

If the IFE screens are in service since 1994 and have never been replaced I guess after such a long time it is likely that you will have short ciruits etc. Like with your TV at home it also breaks at some point and if you are unlucky it catches fire.

they will change the PTVs when they change the seat (if it happens one day)

This story seems a little odd but an official report will eventually be published. The report also says Northern Iceland? I wonder what airport in Northern Iceland can handle a 744 and would have a technician on hand. Keflavik airport, which would, is in the south-west.

This story seems a little odd but an official report will eventually be published. (...)


If you are ever able to get access to such an "official report" please let me know....... I have never been able to find any explanation for the numerous incidents reported in the media and involving El Al planes.

If you are ever able to get access to such an "official report" please let me know....... I have never been able to find any explanation for the numerous incidents reported in the media and involving El Al planes.

Hmmm!