Something Not In The National News

scojones

Right,
So I've just had a chat with a friend, who is a member of the coast guard in the munster region (clare, kerry). He was on call last weekend, and recieved a call stating that an American Government plane was crash landing in Shannon Airport with some hazzardous material on board. He told me, it basically belly flopped, but didn't leak or anything. Apparently, it was reported in some local Kerry newspaper ( I have yet to confirm this).

Now, this was not reported in the National news. Our government obviously don't want us to know about this.

IF this is true ( I have no doubt/reason to believe otherwise ), what are your thoughts on this? My friend told me, it was landing there anyway, but it crash landed. This opens up a new door to this current argument about the American Government transporting terrorists through Shannon.

Sandals

Shocking

GuanYin

It was in the national news. It just doesn't seem to have been a very important story.

http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=9&si=83173&breakingnews=1

ronbyrne2005

it was featured on pat kennys how on rte one morning this week. it had brake faults and ask permission to land in shannon.it is claimed it was helium on board which is an inert gas so it couldnt have been hazardous

BrianD

It was in the Irish Times. Made an emergency landing without incident though all the emergency services were put on high alert. It requested to land in Shannon beacuse of the length of the runway. The cargo was helium for 'spy blimps' and inert gas but classed as hazardous.

Zombrex

sjones wrote:

Now, this was not reported in the National news. Our government obviously don't want us to know about this. .

Our government has very little control over the national media, including RTE. If it did do you think every second story would be about how FF have f**ked up today?

Nuttzz

so it did make the national news? so there is no cover up going on?

shocking....

Bluetonic

This was reported on the news last week. Was carrying helium gas. A few buildings were evacuated around the shannon free zone as is usual.

No coverup here.

US military plane makes emergency landing

The US Embassy has confirmed that a US military aircraft, which made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport this morning, was carrying helium gas bound for Iraq.

The C-17 transport plane had to divert to Shannon airport when it developed hydraulic and brake problems.

The gas is contained in 58 cylinders onboard the plane and is used to float radar balloons for the military.

A spokesperson for the US embassy stated the cargo and flight were not in contravention of any UN resolutions.

Local lifeboat units were on alert on Shannon estuary ahead of the landing as a precautionary measure.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1201/shannon.html

Bluetonic

Edit: mistake.

BuffyBot

As far as I know it's standard operating procedure to declare that there is potentially hazardous goods aboard in a situation like this - it gives time for the airport emergency services to prepare.

Hotblack Desiato

Helium is only potentially hazardous because it's stored as a compressed gas under very high pressure. Compressed air at the same pressure would be just as dangerous.

Some guy was on Joe Duffy the other day who was listening in to the plane as it circled, he wondered why it was let fly over populated areas - as if faulty brakes could cause it to drop out of the sky :rolleyes: you'd think a guy who listened in to planes for years would have some clue.

Standard procedure to alert emergency crews, it's quite common for aircraft with brake problems to have a minor wheel fire which needs to be extinguished.