- Hydraulic fuel pipe on Aurigny plane burst just moments after landing at Guernsey airport
- Four staff taken to hospital
- Investigation to be carried out
FOUR Aurigny staff were taken to hospital after a hydraulic fuel pipe on one of its aircraft burst just moments after landing at Guernsey airport.
An investigation will be held into the incident, which occurred at around 10.25 am yesterday, as two ground staff and two crew members were taken to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital as a precaution, with possible fume inhalation.
No passengers were injured during the incident involving Aurigny’s ATR 72-500 G-COBO, which had just arrived from Gatwick.
The four members of staff were expected to return to work today.
Airport director Colin Le Ray said that airport officials would be investigating the incident and representatives from Guernsey’s Health and Safety Executive also attended the scene yesterday.
Two ambulances were sent to the airport after it was reported that engineers had suffered an inhalation of hydraulic oil fumes while working on the aircraft.
A spokesman for the Guernsey States-owned airline said that the pipe burst while the ATR was parking at its stand, but at no time were passengers in any danger.
‘The fluid in the pipe is under high pressure which may have, to some people, have appeared to be smoke,’ he said.
‘We can confirm that this was not the case.
‘One of our crew noticed the smell of hydraulic fluid in the passenger cabin and advised the captain of this.
‘All passengers were disembarked safely, but quickly, and without incident at Guernsey airport and at no time were they in any danger.
‘The aircraft has been withdrawn from service while engineers fix the problem. We hope that will be later today.’
The airline apologised to its passengers for any alarm that may have been caused and for any inconvenience caused to them.
