A flight passenger tied to Bristol, forced to make an emergency landing due to the smell of smoke, revealed that he and his fellow passengers “thought they would die.”
EasyJet flights from Paphos, Cyprus to Bristol Airport on Saturday (June 14) had to undergo an unexpected halt in Izmir, Turkey, just 20 minutes after their scheduled trip.
Jamie Shoreland traveled to Cyprus with a friend to visit his grandfather, and was on his way home as the smoke alarm began to sound. However, airline staff did not inform passengers about what was going on.
The 21-year-old from Exeter explained that the first 30-minute delayed flight took off at 10:30pm. When the plane was west of Türkiye, he realized something was wrong. Jamie said: “The Air Force crew were told to clean up the catering trolley, but no information was said, but they were told to brace for an emergency landing.”
He continued: “We were on the water, so we thought we were going to hit the ocean.
“I thought to myself, 'This is how it's done,' people were screaming, 'We're going to die!' ”
“One father rushed the plane to hold the child, and the airline staff told him to go back to his seat. He said, “I told you to turn off f**k. If I'm going to die, I'll be with the child.” ”
Jamie explained to Bristol Live that it was “literally flying sideways” before turning 180 degrees towards Turkey the moment the plane suddenly made a 180-degree turn, dropping 15,000 feet at an altitude of 15,000 feet within two minutes.
“I saw the cabin crew crying behind the plane thinking they were going to die, but the plane flew to Izmir and landed at the airport,” Jamie said.
Detailing further his ordeal, Jamie commented: “It was a traumatic experience. I thought I was going to die. I was trying to think of the happy thoughts of my family as we walked through the sky.”
He also portrayed chaos by saying, “It was a load of mayhem, and there was no light on the plane, and it was a horrifying time.”
Passengers were made to wait 30 minutes when firefighters attacked the plane
As firefighters ran into the aircraft, passengers in flight faced a tense 30-minute wait after landing.
According to Jamie, after landing without initial explanation, emergency services chased the plane until it stopped, with firefighters quickly boarding.
Jamie explained that passengers were unable to escape from the aircraft while the emergency crew investigated the cause despite the cockpit being filled with smoke.
Just 20 minutes after landing, Jamie and his fellow travelers were informed of suspected faults in the cooling system.
EasyJet guaranteed accommodation for the affected people, spreading it over three hotels, and Jamie was told that the room could be used until 6pm on Sunday, just before the flight rescheduled around 10pm.
However, passengers were immediately instructed to open the hotel at noon, Jamie said. The crowd gathered at the airport until it was a plane and was delayed three times before finally boarding at 11pm.
Expressing concern, Jamie said: “I didn't want to leave Izmir, I thought, 'I might not make it.' ”
Airlines criticised for lack of response
Travelers denounced EasyJet for inaction during the dire ordeal, and accused the airline's communication efforts of being severely inadequate.
In a stinging criticism, Jamie said, “They weren't help at all. The pilot joked (of the first flight), then told everyone to buy lottery tickets because they had 'gotten fortune'.
The very late return voyage from Türkiye finally landed at Bristol Airport around midnight on Monday, with Jamie finally reaching Exeter before 3am.
Jamie recalls her tragic journey. “It was my first time in 12 years that my friend had flew. I'll never be on a plane again. I wasn't too scared to fly, it was the worst experience of my life.”
EasyJet issued a statement after the incident on Saturday, June 15th, saying, “We can confirm that the Paphos-to-Bristol flight Ezy2902 has been detoured to Izmir due to technical issues and the smell of smoke.
“The aircraft safely landed in Izmir and was filled with emergency services as a daily and precautionary measure.”
The airline ensured that passengers disembarked and received accommodation with meals if necessary following standard procedures to the terminal.
“Passers will continue Bristol with exchanges late today. Customer and crew safety is EasyJet's top priority, and EasyJet operates a fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturer guidelines.
“We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and apologize for the inconvenience.”
