A HOLIDAY jet was forced to return to Dublin airport yesterday after suffering an engine failure on departure.
Oberst (formerly Iberworld) flight IWD-3506 left Dublin at about 12.10pm destined for Reus in Spain when the pilot contacted air traffic controllers declaring an emergency.
The pilot reported that one of the jet’s two engines had failed on departure and was possibly on fire. The pilot told controllers that he wished to return to the airport immediately.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the crew of an aircraft waiting to depart reported that the Oberst aircraft had suffered a bird-strike and that at least one bird had been sucked into the number two engine.
As the Oberst crew completed their emergency checklist, the Airbus A320 aircraft was routed back to the airport. Shortly before landing, the pilot confirmed that there was no engine fire but he was still only flying on one engine.
Airport crash crews were mobilised to holding points along the main runway ahead of the jet’s return. As soon as it landed safely, a fleet of emergency vehicles pursued the aircraft along the runway and remained with it until the pilot declared the situation safe. The aircraft did not need to be evacuated.
All departures were stopped while several aircraft on approach to land were requested to enter holding patterns until the emergency was dealt with.
One Aer Lingus flight from Paris was forced to divert to Belfast. As soon as the runway was declared clear and safe, full operations resumed at about 12.25pm.