‘Loud bang, smoke in cabin’ - Jamaican attorney recounts 'engine failure' over Atlantic on Virgin flight

A Virgin Atlantic flight carrying 241 passengers and 12 crew from London Heathrow to Montego Bay was forced to divert to Shannon, Ireland on Saturday night after a “technical issue” developed during the flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

Jamaican attorney-at-law Yushaine Morgan, who was among the passengers, told The Gleaner that he heard a "loud bang" about three hours into the flight. 

"The captain announced that there was an engine failure and that we would have to divert," he said. 

Passengers applauded after the plane completed its emergency landing.

Virgin Atlantic confirmed the diversion to The Gleaner, saying flight VS165 was diverted "as a precautionary measure following a technical issue with the aircraft." 

The airline said a replacement aircraft was sent immediately to Shannon to bring passengers back to Heathrow, where they were all offered accommodation. 

"We sincerely apologise for the disruption to our customers' journey, and our teams are in contact with them to discuss their options which include rebooking or a refund," a spokesperson said.

The airline did not specify the nature of the technical issue. 

However, according to a report by The Aviation Herald, the Airbus A330-900 was approximately 440 nautical miles west of Shannon at cruising altitude when the crew reduced the right-hand Trent 7000 engine to idle thrust following a stall. 

Virgin Atlantic said the aircraft departed London Heathrow at 16:04 UK time (10:04 AM Jamaica time) and turned around approximately three hours into the flight. It said the aircraft “landed safely” into Shannon at 21:24 (about 3:24 p.m. Jamaica time). 

In recounting his experience, Morgan noted that passengers kept their composure throughout the unfolding incident. 

"About three hours into the flight from London Heathrow to Donald Sangster International, we heard a loud bang and then we started to smell smoke and then the cabin started to get smoky and the captain announced that there was an engine failure and that we would have to divert," he told The Gleaner.

Morgan said six fire units and ambulances were on the ground at Shannon when the aircraft landed. He said passengers disembarked and remained at the Irish airport for four to five hours before a replacement aircraft was dispatched from London to bring them back to Heathrow.

He praised the composure shown by those on board throughout the ordeal. "There was no screaming. There was no chanting; people just remained calm and the pilot did what he needed to do to take us in," Morgan said.

Back in London, passengers were accommodated in hotels and advised to rebook their travel. Virgin Atlantic said affected customers are being rebooked on Montego Bay services subject to availability, with the option of choosing a different destination or requesting a refund.

Morgan said he was booked on the next available flight on Monday but some passengers have been delayed to Thursday. 

He credited fellow Jamaicans on board for rallying to assist those less comfortable with technology in navigating the rebooking process. 

"When we got to the hotel, how the Jamaicans came together to assist each other in rebooking, because of course, some people aren't app savvy or tech savvy and didn't know what to do," he said.

"We're just really feeling blessed. It could have been worse, but we're here, and we're here," he said.

The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority told The Gleaner on Sunday that it is aware of the incident but could not provide any immediate details.

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