This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/7578428.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Fault forces Gatwick jet landing | Fault forces Gatwick jet landing |
| (about 19 hours later) | |
| A plane bound for Barbados was forced to return to Gatwick Airport after the captain reported a technical problem. | A plane bound for Barbados was forced to return to Gatwick Airport after the captain reported a technical problem. |
| The Virgin Atlantic flight returned to the West Sussex airport an hour after take-off but the airline said it was simply a precautionary measure. | The Virgin Atlantic flight returned to the West Sussex airport an hour after take-off but the airline said it was simply a precautionary measure. |
| Gatwick Airport said the Boeing 747-400 had declared a problem and the fire service had been put on standby. | Gatwick Airport said the Boeing 747-400 had declared a problem and the fire service had been put on standby. |
| Virgin said the 320 passengers were put on a replacement flight to Barbados on Saturday at 2115 BST. | |
| Airline apology | Airline apology |
| A Virgin spokesman said an investigation into why flight VS29 returned to Gatwick was under way. | A Virgin spokesman said an investigation into why flight VS29 returned to Gatwick was under way. |
| "The captain of the aircraft decided as a precautionary measure to go back to Gatwick," he said. | "The captain of the aircraft decided as a precautionary measure to go back to Gatwick," he said. |
| "Virgin Atlantic gives the highest priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew. Virgin Atlantic apologises for the inconvenience caused and the delay to passengers' journeys." | "Virgin Atlantic gives the highest priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew. Virgin Atlantic apologises for the inconvenience caused and the delay to passengers' journeys." |
| The plane landed back in Gatwick about 1100 BST. | |
| Delayed passengers and 15 crew members were given vouchers while waiting for their second flight, which left 11 hours after the original scheduled departure time. | |
| Virgin Atlantic said it would offer passengers a partial refund as they were delayed longer than five hours. | |
| A spokeswoman for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it had been notified but were not investigating the incident. |