London – British Airways apologized on Friday after a crew member mistakenly played an emergency message warning Hong Kong-bound passengers that the plane they were on was about to plunge into the sea.
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About 275 passengers on a Tuesday flight out of London’s Heathrow Airport heard the message: “This is an emergency. We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on water,” NBC News reported.
“People were terrified, we all thought we were going to die,” passenger Michelle Lord, 32, told Britain’s The Sun newspaper, which first reported the incident. “They said the pilot hit the wrong button because they were so close together.”
“I can’t think of anything worse than being told your plane’s about to crash,” the Sun quoted another passenger as saying.
The plane was flying over the North Sea at the time.
Cabin crew on the Boeing 747 quickly reassured passengers that the message was a mistake and there was no emergency, NBC News reported.
“We would like to apologize to passengers on board the flight for causing them undue distress,” British Airways said in a statement.
“Our cabin crew immediately made an announcement following the message advising customers that it was played in error and that the flight would continue as normal,” the airline said.
The airline is investigating the incident to determine whether it was human error or a computer glitch, British Airways told Reuters.
A plane ride is terrifying enough these days without some idiot playing a warning message by mistake. BA is lucky no one had a heart attack from fear.
thats what happens in the computor world
what a trama they went threw
You got to be kidding me there making a big deal out of nothing cough it up as a bad joke at worst
At least he didn’t accidentally hit the engine shut-off switch.
“I can’t think of anything worse than being told your plane’s about to crash,” the Sun quoted another passenger as saying.
How about actually crashing?
Ba doesn’t have a a380 aircraft in service
I don’t understand, why do they need pre recorded messages like this, and is there a separate message for crashing in water and ground?? its crazy!!
Luckily, the exit doors are not controlled by the pilot. Imagine the Emergency exits and chutes deploying in midair. Also, the pilot, if it could be determined that it was done intentionally, could become a folk hero. He could claim that he did it out of frustration with passengers’ attitude, just like his “Cousin” Mr. Slater, the flight Attendant did.
“I can’t think of anything worse than being told your plane’s about to crash,” the Sun quoted another passenger as saying.
How about being told you have cancer?
what if someone threw his computor. wouldn’t that cause a trama? can anyone speel out there?
“what if someone threw his computor. wouldn’t that cause a trama? can anyone speel out there?”
Is this a comment in English?
#6 ,
Thanks for putting a smile on my face.
#7 united1k ,
The article says it was 747 not an A380.
#9 bigwheeel,
The doors open inward, with a pressure differential as low as 2 PSI between the pressurized cabin and the outside ambient pressure there’s about ten tons of pressure holding the door closed. If you ever see anyone try to open the door in flight, have a coffee and watch him work at it til he dies of a heart attack. The door is not going anywhere.
#12 Rifka,
I believe the comment you are referring to is sarcastic referring to another comment with mispelling of the word “through.” And BTW since when is Rivka spelled with a “fey”?