BA apologises for accidentally playing crash message

News at Heathrow 23/01/2012

Heathrow reports busiest December on record : 2012 : Warnings of bird strike risk for Boris Island airport

British Airways has apologised after an emergency message was played accidentally on a flight last week.

Passengers were awoken at around 3am halfway between Miami and Heathrow airport last Wednesday when the pilot of a BA aircraft carrying some 270 people accidentally played a message declaring that the plane would need to make an emergency landing on the water.

The flight was cruising at some 35,000 feet over the North Sea when the pre-recorded message came on over the intercom. Passengers said it featured a female voice.

Those onboard recalled screaming and shock among the cabin until crewmembers ran up and down the aisles reassuring people that it had been played by accident. One father from Edinburgh said upon arrival at Heathrow that he was sure that his family was going to die until he was told to ignore the warning.

Frightened travellers were given written apologies by BA staff on the ground in London after a safe and standard landing. A spokesman for the company said it wanted apologise to those on flight BA 0206 for the “undue concern”.

A similar event occurred on a flight between Heathrow airport and Hong Kong last year when an emergency message frightened travellers by asking them to prepare for a crash.

Heathrow reports busiest December on record : 2012 : Warnings of bird strike risk for Boris Island airport

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