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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Airline probe into sinking plane | Airline probe into sinking plane |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Airline officials are seeking an explanation as to how a plane sunk into tarmac at City of Derry airport. | Airline officials are seeking an explanation as to how a plane sunk into tarmac at City of Derry airport. |
| The inbound flight from Salou, carrying 180 passengers, had been instructed to wait on a remote runway after landing. | The inbound flight from Salou, carrying 180 passengers, had been instructed to wait on a remote runway after landing. |
| However, after waiting for 30 minutes, the plane sank. It was eventually able to power itself out of the ground. | However, after waiting for 30 minutes, the plane sank. It was eventually able to power itself out of the ground. |
| The airport said it was an exceptional occurrence. Chairman of Derry City Council's Airport Committee Colm Eastwood said he was embarrassed. | |
| He said the latest incident, coming months after the airport was closed by the Civil Aviation Authority amid safety fears, was doing nothing for its reputation. | |
| First Choice, which chartered the flight, said they wanted to find out exactly what happened. | |
| Rachel Wood from First Choice said: "It can happen in hot countries. At the moment we are trying to talk to the airport to understand a little bit more about how this happened. | Rachel Wood from First Choice said: "It can happen in hot countries. At the moment we are trying to talk to the airport to understand a little bit more about how this happened. |
| "We do understand that it was warm and the aircraft was waiting there for quite a long time in the same place on the taxiway." | "We do understand that it was warm and the aircraft was waiting there for quite a long time in the same place on the taxiway." |
| The incident involved a First Choice plane | The incident involved a First Choice plane |
| Ms Wood said the pilot got the passengers to disembark, which lightened the load on the aircraft. | Ms Wood said the pilot got the passengers to disembark, which lightened the load on the aircraft. |
| "It has never happened to us before at Derry, we do fly in there regularly." she said. | "It has never happened to us before at Derry, we do fly in there regularly." she said. |
| Passengers on an outbound flight to Salou were delayed for a short period as a result. | Passengers on an outbound flight to Salou were delayed for a short period as a result. |
| In a statement, the airport said the flight had been diverted to the remote taxiway to facilitate two other aircraft that landed on Wednesday afternoon. | In a statement, the airport said the flight had been diverted to the remote taxiway to facilitate two other aircraft that landed on Wednesday afternoon. |
| "While the aircraft was stationary it settled into the tarmac for a time and was subsequently manoeuvred to the main area of the airport to allow passengers to board the outbound flight to Salou/Reus, which departed at 1736 hours," said a spokesperson. | "While the aircraft was stationary it settled into the tarmac for a time and was subsequently manoeuvred to the main area of the airport to allow passengers to board the outbound flight to Salou/Reus, which departed at 1736 hours," said a spokesperson. |