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| Forced landing for Ryanair flight | Forced landing for Ryanair flight |
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| A Ryanair flight carrying British holidaymakers has been forced to make an unscheduled landing due to a loss of cabin pressure, the company has said. | A Ryanair flight carrying British holidaymakers has been forced to make an unscheduled landing due to a loss of cabin pressure, the company has said. |
| Flight FR9336 from Bristol to Barcelona Girona Airport was hit by a "depressurisation incident" on Monday night, Ryanair confirmed. | Flight FR9336 from Bristol to Barcelona Girona Airport was hit by a "depressurisation incident" on Monday night, Ryanair confirmed. |
| The plane was diverted to Limoges in central France and 16 passengers were taken to hospital with earache. | The plane was diverted to Limoges in central France and 16 passengers were taken to hospital with earache. |
| Ryanair said it had sent an engineer to try to find out what happened. | Ryanair said it had sent an engineer to try to find out what happened. |
| 'Safety precaution' | 'Safety precaution' |
| In a statement posted on its website, Ryanair said the loss of pressure "caused the oxygen masks on board to deploy". | In a statement posted on its website, Ryanair said the loss of pressure "caused the oxygen masks on board to deploy". |
| "As a safety precaution the captain descended and diverted the aircraft to Limoges Airport at approximately 2330 local French time," the company said. | "As a safety precaution the captain descended and diverted the aircraft to Limoges Airport at approximately 2330 local French time," the company said. |
| "All 168 passengers disembarked safely upon landing. | "All 168 passengers disembarked safely upon landing. |
| "A total of 16 passengers together with five accompanying family members have been transferred, at their request, to a local hospital complaining of earache. | "A total of 16 passengers together with five accompanying family members have been transferred, at their request, to a local hospital complaining of earache. |
| "As a precaution, Limoges Airport have arranged a local doctor to be available to any other passengers should they require." | "As a precaution, Limoges Airport have arranged a local doctor to be available to any other passengers should they require." |
| Arctic explorer Pen Hadow, who was on the flight with his family, told BBC News they had had no warning, "it just suddenly happened". | Arctic explorer Pen Hadow, who was on the flight with his family, told BBC News they had had no warning, "it just suddenly happened". |
| And when he had put on his mask, there had been "no oxygen flow coming through the line". | And when he had put on his mask, there had been "no oxygen flow coming through the line". |
| Mr Hadow, who became the first man to walk unaided to the North Pole in 2003, was also critical of a lack of communication by cabin crew and Ryanair ground staff. | Mr Hadow, who became the first man to walk unaided to the North Pole in 2003, was also critical of a lack of communication by cabin crew and Ryanair ground staff. |
| "It was unfortunate that, for whatever reasons, the flight crew were not able to talk to any of us," he told BBC News. | "It was unfortunate that, for whatever reasons, the flight crew were not able to talk to any of us," he told BBC News. |
| "We really didn't see them during the main situation at all. They didn't say anything, they weren't visible. We have not heard a squeak. | "We really didn't see them during the main situation at all. They didn't say anything, they weren't visible. We have not heard a squeak. |
| "No-one at Ryanair... there was no physical presence and absolutely no sense of any sort of frontline communication with us. | "No-one at Ryanair... there was no physical presence and absolutely no sense of any sort of frontline communication with us. |
| "Some people thought we were going to die - that is how frightening it was. The woman sitting in the seats in front of us was whimpering. | "Some people thought we were going to die - that is how frightening it was. The woman sitting in the seats in front of us was whimpering. |
| "We have been through a genuine life-threatening emergency. The runway had fire engines all the way down the line, this was a full-on situation." | "We have been through a genuine life-threatening emergency. The runway had fire engines all the way down the line, this was a full-on situation." |
| Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary denied reports by passengers that their oxygen masks had not been working. | Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary denied reports by passengers that their oxygen masks had not been working. |
| "Passengers sometimes misunderstand and expect there's going to be a surge of oxygen, when in actual fact there's simply a steady stream of oxygen," he said. | "Passengers sometimes misunderstand and expect there's going to be a surge of oxygen, when in actual fact there's simply a steady stream of oxygen," he said. |
| "I've been in one of these myself. The oxygen masks were working, the correct safety procedures were followed." | "I've been in one of these myself. The oxygen masks were working, the correct safety procedures were followed." |
| Passengers also complained that the flight crew failed to tell them immediately why the aircraft was descending so quickly. | Passengers also complained that the flight crew failed to tell them immediately why the aircraft was descending so quickly. |
| Mr O' Leary said passengers had not been told immediately why the aircraft was descending so quickly because safety had been the crew's priority. | Mr O' Leary said passengers had not been told immediately why the aircraft was descending so quickly because safety had been the crew's priority. |
| "We have to require that the pilots and the cabin crew deploy their oxygen masks and they can't be making PA announcements while they have their oxygen masks on," he said. | "We have to require that the pilots and the cabin crew deploy their oxygen masks and they can't be making PA announcements while they have their oxygen masks on," he said. |
| "As the passengers confirmed the pilot did make an announcement once he got down to 8,000ft, when it's safe to take oxygen masks off." | "As the passengers confirmed the pilot did make an announcement once he got down to 8,000ft, when it's safe to take oxygen masks off." |
| Ryanair said a replacement aircraft had been flown from Stansted Airport to Limoges and had taken the remaining passengers to Barcelona. | Ryanair said a replacement aircraft had been flown from Stansted Airport to Limoges and had taken the remaining passengers to Barcelona. |
| A Ryanair spokesman could not confirm how many passengers, other than those attending hospital, had chosen not to fly. | A Ryanair spokesman could not confirm how many passengers, other than those attending hospital, had chosen not to fly. |
| Were you on board the Ryanair flight from Bristol to Barcelona? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below: | Were you on board the Ryanair flight from Bristol to Barcelona? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below: |
| In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |