BA flight (op WDL Aviation) lands in Edinburgh instead of Dusseldorf by mistake
Mar 25, 2019, 7:31 am
#31
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I would like to think I would notice after a while that there was no water down there and then pull out my phone and use the GPS + offline maps to find out where I actually was.
Then I might start to get nervous and ask the crew some questions.
Then I might start to get nervous and ask the crew some questions.
Mar 25, 2019, 7:36 am
#32
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Sounds like a series of clerical errors that was fortunately led to only an annoyance for passengers rather than something that could affect flight safety.
Mar 25, 2019, 7:49 am
#34
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As we haven't heard from anybody on board, I wonder if once they'd taken off, there was no going back? So, even if people had noticed the flight appeared to be going in the wrong direction, the crew were committed at that stage to fly the filed flight plan?
Mar 25, 2019, 7:52 am
#35
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I wonder what the preflight announcement said. Surely someone would have pointed out to the flight attendant that it was Dusseldorf, not Edinburgh as the destination.
I suppose if this was announced as the dusseldorf flight by the pilot and then ended up in Edinburgh that would be even more worrying. A case of engaging the autopilot and cracking on.
I suppose if this was announced as the dusseldorf flight by the pilot and then ended up in Edinburgh that would be even more worrying. A case of engaging the autopilot and cracking on.
I was wondering about this too. Has anyone been on these WDL operated BA flights before and if so is it the SOP for the Captain/FO to chat to the passengers about weather etc at destination before takeoff like every BA operated flight I've been on? I'm sure the error would have been picked up then if it was the case.
Mar 25, 2019, 7:57 am
#36
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If the fuel uplift was similar to both destinations then they would have got to a position where it was probably more sensible to continue to EDI and talk to the, now, German provided ATC service there.
Mar 25, 2019, 8:05 am
#39
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I like how the BA Twitter team tried to claim that "The flight has been diverted to Edinburgh" rather than admit they flew to the wrong airport!
Doesn't really say much for their geography skills if they really think Edinburgh would be a likely diversion airport for a route from LCY-DUS!
Doesn't really say much for their geography skills if they really think Edinburgh would be a likely diversion airport for a route from LCY-DUS!
Mar 25, 2019, 8:14 am
#40
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I can imagine the pilots not hearing or not paying attention to the FA announcements at the beginning of the flight, but usually a pilot gets onto the intercom early in the flight and mentions the destination at least once IMO.
I've been on flights where one of the early announcements naming the destination (IIEC by a FA) was strong but then was immediately corrected.
I'm also a bit puzzled how the pilots could have boarded without noticing the destination that was posted at the gate as they were verifying that they had arrived at the correct gate, but of course this wouldn't apply if they had just stayed on board the aircraft from a previous flight. When the GA lets pilots on board, wouldn't there be some verification of flight number and destination as well as the identity of crew members?
I've been on flights where one of the early announcements naming the destination (IIEC by a FA) was strong but then was immediately corrected.
I'm also a bit puzzled how the pilots could have boarded without noticing the destination that was posted at the gate as they were verifying that they had arrived at the correct gate, but of course this wouldn't apply if they had just stayed on board the aircraft from a previous flight. When the GA lets pilots on board, wouldn't there be some verification of flight number and destination as well as the identity of crew members?
Mar 25, 2019, 8:24 am
#41
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47691478
Must have been a fun flight
A British Airways flight destined for Dusseldorf in Germany has landed in Edinburgh by mistake, after the flight paperwork was submitted incorrectly.
The passengers only realised the error when the plane landed and the "welcome to Edinburgh" announcement was made.
The flight is now making its way from Edinburgh to Dusseldorf, BA says. German firm WDL Aviation ran the flight for BA as part of a leasing deal.
BA said it was working with WDL to find out why it filed the wrong flight plan.
"We have apologised to customers for this interruption to their journey and will be contacting them all individually," BA said in a statement.
It is not yet known how many passengers were affected by the mistake.
BA say the pilot wasn't lost at any point, but because the paperwork said Edinburgh, air traffic control allowed the flight to take that route.
Must have been a fun flight
A British Airways flight destined for Dusseldorf in Germany has landed in Edinburgh by mistake, after the flight paperwork was submitted incorrectly.
The passengers only realised the error when the plane landed and the "welcome to Edinburgh" announcement was made.
The flight is now making its way from Edinburgh to Dusseldorf, BA says. German firm WDL Aviation ran the flight for BA as part of a leasing deal.
BA said it was working with WDL to find out why it filed the wrong flight plan.
"We have apologised to customers for this interruption to their journey and will be contacting them all individually," BA said in a statement.
It is not yet known how many passengers were affected by the mistake.
BA say the pilot wasn't lost at any point, but because the paperwork said Edinburgh, air traffic control allowed the flight to take that route.
Mar 25, 2019, 8:31 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 938
Further quotes on Beeb:
"The pilot then asked passengers to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Dusseldorf."
"Everyone raised their hands."
"The pilot said he had no idea how it had happened. He said it had never happened before and that the crew was trying to work out what we could do."
The fact that he had to ask if the passengers still wanted to go to Dusseldorf.....
"The pilot then asked passengers to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Dusseldorf."
"Everyone raised their hands."
"The pilot said he had no idea how it had happened. He said it had never happened before and that the crew was trying to work out what we could do."
The fact that he had to ask if the passengers still wanted to go to Dusseldorf.....
Mar 25, 2019, 8:34 am
#43
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I can get how people would not have realised anything was amiss from looking out of the window, but I would have thought that a pre-flight announcement mentioning Edinburgh might have been noticed. Between the crew, pax and staff it really is quite remarkable that this happened. The "pilot not lost" quote is hilarious journo nonsense. Something has clearly gone very badly wrong here.
Mar 25, 2019, 8:41 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
I’ll summarise the expected replies
1. How much compo will they get.
2. Everyone involved shoukd be sacked and then sacked again. Then be tutted at by Olivia Coleman.
not a good situation to get into though is it? I guess once it was enroute it couldn’t easily divert back to where it should have gone?
1. How much compo will they get.
2. Everyone involved shoukd be sacked and then sacked again. Then be tutted at by Olivia Coleman.
not a good situation to get into though is it? I guess once it was enroute it couldn’t easily divert back to where it should have gone?
Mar 25, 2019, 8:43 am
#45
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