Why wouldn't they have diverted to Toronto which is only another 20 = minutes away which has better customs, emergency and hotel facilities? Mark -----Original Message----- From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of = Mike Tobin Sent: Sunday, November 23, 2003 8:18 PM To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Iberia Airbus diverts to London, Ontario due fumes --Boundary_(ID_9yUCmnoS/HBWXRYtwmhdPg) Content-type: text/plain; charset=3DISO-8859-1; format=3Dflowed Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Alert diverts Airbus to city The Iberia International Airlines plane, travelling from Chicago = and=3D20 heading for Madrid, makes an emergency landing at London's airport. JENNIFER O'BRIEN, Free Press Reporter =3DA0 2003-11-23 06:51:22 = =3DA0 Airport officials scrambled last night to find hotel rooms for more=3D20 = than 100 travellers after an international flight was forced to make = an=3D20=3D emergency landing in London. The Spanish-based Iberia International=3D20 Airlines Airbus was en route from Chicago to Madrid when the smell = of=3D20 "something burning," seeped into the cabin, said passenger Dan Wolf, 18. Moments later, there was an announcement the plane would be forced = to=3D20 make an emergency landing at London International Airport. "It was the closest thing to death I've ever experienced, I was = totally=3D20=3D scared," Wolf said, speaking to a reporter through the glass of the=3D20 departure lounge, where passengers were being held until = accommodations=3D20=3D could be arranged. Dozens of emergency workers, including firefighters, paramedics and=3D20 police responded to London International Airport for the emergency=3D20 landing which occurred about 8 p.m. Police scanners buzzed with sirens of emergency vehicles responding = to=3D20=3D reports of smoke in the cockpit. The airbus dumped fuel over Lake Huron, said London fire District = Chief=3D20=3D Wayne Norton. London has only dealt with this situation two or three times = before.=3D20 "Normally, it would have been diverted to Toronto, but because we = were=3D20=3D closer, they decided to land here." More than an hour later, passengers were unloaded into the airport = and=3D20=3D most emergency vehicles left the scene. Estimates of the number of passengers ranged from 139 to 239. It was not clear last night what the problem was with the airbus, = said=3D20=3D London International Airport president Steve Baker, but airport=3D20 = employees were contacting technicians for Iberia International Airlines. "We are talking with the technical people in Madrid and Miami," = said=3D20 Baker, adding the cause of the smoke was unknown. Passengers appeared mostly in good spirits as they waited to hear = their=3D20=3D fate for their night. Airport officials provided most of them with refreshments and some=3D20 = spoke into cellphones. Wolf was playing cards with his father, while his brother, sister = and=3D20 mother lounged on nearby airport benches. The South Carolina family was travelling to Spain and then Italy for = a=3D20=3D family vacation. "There was a bad smell, like burning wire," he said through the glass. "Then someone came on the intercom and said 'we have to make an=3D20 = emergency landing.' "It was really freaky." Wolf said the plane began to descend immediately, dropping quickly=3D20 = until it made an abrupt stop on the runway in London. He couldn't recall what people were saying or doing around him, as = he=3D20 was so "freaked out," himself. "I was so scared," he said. "Really I was." Copyright =3DA9 The London Free Press 2001,2002,2003 --Boundary_(ID_9yUCmnoS/HBWXRYtwmhdPg) Content-type: text/enriched; charset=3DISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <=3D fontfamily><param>Geneva</param><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger> fontfamily><b=3D igger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger>Alert diverts Airbus to =3D city</bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigg= e=3D r></bigger></bigger></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> =3D </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Geneva</param><bigger><bigger><bigger><bi= g=3D ger><bigger><bigger>The Iberia International Airlines plane, travelling from Chicago and heading = for Madrid, makes an emergency landing at London's =3D airport.</bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></fontfamil= y=3D ><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>JENNIFER O'BRIEN, Free = Press Reporter</fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> =3DA0 </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>2003-11-23 06:51:22</fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> =3DA0 =3D </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> </bigger></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> =3D </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Times New Roman</param><bigger> Airport officials scrambled last night to find hotel rooms for more than = 100 travellers after an international flight was forced to make an emergency landing in London. The Spanish-based Iberia International Airlines = Airbus was en route from Chicago to Madrid when the smell of "something = burning," seeped into the cabin, said passenger Dan Wolf, 18.=3D20 Moments later, there was an announcement the plane would be forced to = make an emergency landing at London International Airport.=3D20 "It was the closest thing to death I've ever experienced, I was totally scared," Wolf said, speaking to a reporter through the glass of the departure lounge, where passengers were being held until accommodations could be arranged.=3D20 Dozens of emergency workers, including firefighters, paramedics and = police responded to London International Airport for the emergency landing = which occurred about 8 p.m.=3D20 Police scanners buzzed with sirens of emergency vehicles responding to reports of smoke in the cockpit.=3D20 The airbus dumped fuel over Lake Huron, said London fire District Chief Wayne Norton.=3D20 London has only dealt with this situation two or three times before. "Normally, it would have been diverted to Toronto, but because we were closer, they decided to land here."=3D20 More than an hour later, passengers were unloaded into the airport and = most emergency vehicles left the scene.=3D20 Estimates of the number of passengers ranged from 139 to 239.=3D20 It was not clear last night what the problem was with the airbus, said London International Airport president Steve Baker, but airport = employees were contacting technicians for Iberia International Airlines.=3D20 "We are talking with the technical people in Madrid and Miami," said = Baker, adding the cause of the smoke was unknown.=3D20 Passengers appeared mostly in good spirits as they waited to hear their = fate for their night.=3D20 Airport officials provided most of them with refreshments and some spoke into cellphones.=3D20 Wolf was playing cards with his father, while his brother, sister and = mother lounged on nearby airport benches.=3D20 The South Carolina family was travelling to Spain and then Italy for a family vacation.=3D20 "There was a bad smell, like burning wire," he said through the = glass.=3D20=3D "Then someone came on the intercom and said 'we have to make an = emergency landing.'=3D20 "It was really freaky."=3D20 Wolf said the plane began to descend immediately, dropping quickly until = it made an abrupt stop on the runway in London.=3D20 He couldn't recall what people were saying or doing around him, as he = was so "freaked out," himself.=3D20 "I was so scared," he said. "Really I was."=3D20 </bigger></fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> </fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>Copyright =3DA9 The London = Free Press 2001,2002,2003</fontfamily><fontfamily><param>Arial</param> </fontfamily>=3D --Boundary_(ID_9yUCmnoS/HBWXRYtwmhdPg)-- --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.542 / Virus Database: 336 - Release Date: 18/11/2003 =20 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.542 / Virus Database: 336 - Release Date: 18/11/2003 =20