Lawyers Call For Answers Following Reports Of 'Technical Problem'

Specialist aviation lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have called for answers after an Airbus A330 operated by Virgin Atlantic made an emergency landing at Gatwick, leading flights from the airport to be suspended for around 90 minutes.

The Virgin flight VS027 bound for Orlando was forced to return to the airport shortly after taking off, following reports that smoke had been seen in the cabin.

A subsequent statement for Virgin Atlantic confirmed a technical problem on board had led the captain to call for an immediate evacuation as a precaution.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist aviation law team, which has vast experience in acting for those injured in air accidents in the UK and abroad, said it is vital for lessons to be learned from the incident.

Former RAF pilot  Jim Morris, who is a Partner in the aviation law team, said: “While it is welcome that no one appears to have been seriously injured as a result of what happened on this flight, it is vital that aviation authorities and the airline work carefully to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.  Virgin Atlantic is renowned for its high flight safety standards, but the Airbus A330 has had technical issues in the past.  As Initial reports seem to indicate that a technical issue has been linked to the reason for the emergency landing, it is vital that this suggestion is properly investigated. 

“Any technical or mechanical fault may have wider implications than just this aircraft and could be an issue which needs investigation across the Airbus A330 fleet.   Smoke in the cabin at any time is a very serious issue – such an emergency straight after takeoff places intense pressure on the pilots who have to perform a rapid emergency landing of a fully (fuel) laden aircraft that may well have been above its normal maximum landing weight.

“As with any air incident, the fundamental priority is that answers can be provided which will go some way to preventing the same problems in the future and improve overall flight safety in general.”