A Safair flight departing from Cape Town, headed for East London on November 22 had to make an emergency landing at George Airport shortly after takeoff.
An interference in air pressure at 33,000 feet altitude left one passenger requiring ‘medical assistance’, three passengers with nose bleeds and five passengers with severe ear pain, according to the SA Civil Aviation Authority’s (SACAA) preliminary report.
Approximately 20 minutes after take-off, the Cabin Altitude Warning activated, and the crew declared a MAYDAY. The area controller enquired from the crew if they would be returning to Cape Town or if they would be landing at George, and the crew indicated that they would be diverting to land at George Airport.
Investigations following the incident were recorded in the SACAA report, which found that an air duct located on the left-side air-conditioning pack failed, ‘drastically reducing the efficiency of the left-side air-conditioning pack system’.
Safair has not issued a statement regarding the incident, but spokesperson Kirby Gordon told Business Insider: ‘We’d just like to acknowledge our crew who managed the situation by the book in terms of safety protocols and did an excellent job in ensuring a safe landing in George.’
Read the full investigations report here.
Picture: Getaway gallery
