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The mystery of Flight AA109 - Passengers and crew falling like flies.
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13 авг 2016The mystery of Flight AA109: Passengers and crew falling like flies, an official testing the air before paramedics were allowed on and luggage confiscated for analysis. So what caused the emergency?
Mystery still surrounds why a flight attendant collapsed and seven other people were taken ill during a mid-air drama above the Atlantic.
Panicked passengers told of the scary moment a plea went out for any doctors onboard before the captain of the American Airlines flight declared a 'medical emergency' and returned to London.
Emergency vehicles were scrambled and, once on the ground, the aborted Los Angeles-bound flight was escorted to the Heathrow terminal before passengers were told to remain in their seats.
It has since emerged that those onboard were not allowed to disembark, nor paramedics allowed on to treat those unwell, until tests had been carried out for any 'elevated levels of substances' in the cabin air - analysis that yielded no answers.
All luggage was then confiscated for 'checks' by American Airlines and Heathrow authorities, but passengers were kept in the dark as to the motive for doing so.
Up to six cabin crew members and two passengers, including a man said to be in his 60s and another in his 40s, are believed to have felt faint some 1,600miles into the 5,500mile flight.
American Airlines has so far refused to speculate on what may have caused people to feel unwell, saying only that 'paramedics evaluated passengers and crew. None requested further medical attention.'
The airline said last night that passengers were being reunited with their bags, but a spokesman would not reveal what checks had been carried out or whether anything had been found.
He added: 'American Airlines, and Heathrow authorities, were inspecting bags and cargo', before revealing that the airline's maintenance team was now doing a ' thorough inspection of the aircraft.'
Alan Gray, 41, who told of how flight AA109 was given an escort by emergency services as it taxied to the terminal, said he and his fellow passengers had not been given an explanation about why their bags were confiscated.
'They wouldn't let us have our luggage. They're doing checks on it so it looks like there could be something more to it,' the band manager told MailOnline.
'When we landed there were police cars, ambulances and firefighters who escorted us down the runway and then we were held for 45 minutes before docking.
'Eventually, when we did dock, there was only one person who came on and he was monitoring the air.
'Then the paramedics were allowed onboard to treat those who were ill and everybody was let off.'
The spokesperson said firefighters had 'no idea' what may have caused people to fall ill.
The London Ambulance Service tweeted: 'We have attended an incident at #HeathrowAirport today. We checked over six patients who were feeling unwell. They were discharged on scene.'
Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesman for American Airlines said the plane had turned around after a medical emergency and that it was not security-related.
The spokesman added: 'American Airlines Flight AA 109, a Boeing 777-300, operating to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from London Heathrow, is returning to Heathrow due to a medical emergency.
'The aircraft departed London Heathrow at 1205 local time and is expected to land at Heathrow at 1700 local time. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience to their travel plans.'
It has been suggested by one man on board that the passengers and cabin crew 'suffered loss of equilibrium', though this has not been confirmed.
Lee Gunn tweeted: 'Several crew and several passengers suffering with equilibrium, scheduled time of arrival in LHR is 5pm @flightradar24.'
Equilibrium loss during air travel occurs when the air pressure in the middle ear fluctuates due to a change in altitude or imbalance in cabin air pressure.
Passengers were put up in a hotel last night and it is understood many will be found a seat on another flight to Los Angeles later today.
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