N778UA diverts to Shannon

Today's United Airlines flight UAL 967 from Rome Fiumicino to Washington Dulles diverted into Shannon. The flight, operated by B777-200 N778UA was approximately one hour west of Shannon when the crew elected to turn around and divert to Shannon due to a technical problem. The aircraft landed at 14:40 utc. After 3 1/2 hours on the ground the flight departed for London Heathrow at 18:11.

N741QS performs flapless landing at Shannon

Gulftsream 200 N741QS performed a flapless landing at Shannon this evening. The aircraft msn 212 was scheduled to arrive at the airport from Tel Aviv at 14.25 utc this afternoon but on hand over to Approach Control the crew discovered a hydraulics problem which prevented the flaps being extended. After holding for over an hour in an attempt to rectify the problem the crew elected for a flapless landing having burnt off sufficient fuel to attempt the maneuver which was well inside the aircraft's flight envelope and Shannon's runway length.

At 15.46 utc the aircraft landed on R24 with the Airport Fire and Rescue Service in attendance. The crew did not declare an emergency, probably unsure of the call out charge !

N741QS was delivered through Shannon, via Halifax to the Gulfstream Completion Center in Dallas on October 10 last year as N612GA. The aircraft had been back to the Israel Aerospace factory in TA for rectification of an engine problem and was scheduled to return to the US via Shannon.

The aircraft is in Net Jets Colours but is still registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest so it is possible that the aircraft has yet to be handed over.

Pictured above at top, N741QS touches down on R24 and at bottom is seen on the runway with the Fire and Rescue service vehicles waiting on Taxiway Alpha.

Primera TF-JXG flight diverts to Rome

Icelandic charter operator Primera's Dublin based B737-700 registered TF-JXG was involved in a diversion to Rome's Fiumicino airport last Friday, July 3. The aircraft was operating flight JXX 362 from Zakynthos to Dublin with 153 passengers and 6 crew when the crew requested an emergency landing due to a technical problem.

Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter aircraft were scrambled to escort the aircraft. According to reports TF-JXG had made an unauthorised decent, without declaring emergency from it's cruising altitude to FL200. With the G8 summit in Rome taking place the Italian Authorities would understandably have been sensitive to unusual aircraft flight patterns. Memories of the Helios B737 which crashed in Greece in 2005 may well have also played a role in the decision to deploy the Italian Air Force in this instance.

Initially the Italian authorities requested that the flight divert to Capodichino Airport, Naples in order to keep the aircraft away from Rome and the G8 summit. The aircraft commander refused the suggestion insisting that the longer runway length in Rome was required.

After burning fuel off the west coast of Italy the aircraft landed safely at Fiumicino. Passengers were held in Rome for ten hours while a replacement aircraft was sourced. The exact nature of the technical problem has yet to be identified although some passengers reported flaps being inspected which would be consistent with the commander requesting the longer runway length which was available at Rome.

TF-JXG has 'form'. The aircraft is currently the subject of an investigation by the Irish AAIU after an in flight engine shutdown in March of this year. The aircraft had departed the Air Atlanta hangar in Shannon on March 28 last on delivery to Primera when the crew declared 'Mayday' and returned to the airport. The March incident was previously reported here at : Primera.

EI-RJT diverts to Gatwick

Today's CityJet flight BCY 82K operated by RJ85 EI-RJT diverted to London Gatwick after smoke was reported in the cockpit. The aircraft with 24 passengers and 4 crew was over the English Channel when the incident occurred, prompting the aircraft to divert. Passengers have been accommodated on this evening's Ryanair Gatwick-Shannon service.