Eindhoven Airport has possible acted reprehensible or even prosecutable by refusing Transavia an emergency landing in heavy storm last Saturday. The incident was reported to the Safety Board (‘Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid’), ‘De Telegraaf’ mentions.
"We are busy gathering all the facts to initiate an official investigation, we will soon decide to what extent that will be", the council reported the newspaper.
Although Transavia crew – both in the cockpit and in the cabin followed proper safety procedures and did nothing wrong -, there are doubts about the limits to move to Eindhoven Airport after landing at Rotterdam Airport failed.
”Eindhoven is no alternate airport due to strict noise limits. Airlines know that," the spokeswoman of Eindhoven Airport said on Tuesday. "But in acute emergencies they can land here." That would not have been case with the Transavia flight. She did not dwell on that.
The Boeing 737 flew 170 passengers from Gerona to Rotterdam, when hard crosswind made landing impossible. The female captain decided to make a go-around to an airport ‘more out of the wind, "but Eindhoven did not give permission."
They eventually flew to Amsterdam. As only one airstrip was open due to the storm, the plane HV5068 had to circle above the airport for a long time. After another unsuccessful landing attempt, even breaking down the wing flaps, the pilots asked for an urgent priority, as the fuel ran out. Occupants were terrified in the heavy turbulence.
Source: Studio040
Translation by: Maryanne Staal
