"Blackout terror for tourists as plane plunged after near-miss "

highlydebased · 25-06-2009 10:13am #1

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/blackout-terror-for-tourists-as-plane-plunged--after-nearmiss-1789215.html

By Ray Managh

Thursday June 25 2009

IRISH holidaymakers suffered a terrifying mid-air drama after their plane was suddenly enveloped by darkness and descended rapidly following a near-miss at 30,000 feet.
The Boeing 737 was carrying tourists home from a sunshine holiday in Gran Canaria when it partially fell out of the sky, a court heard yesterday. "The Futura Airlines jet was involved in what was described as a near-miss and almost crashed on its return trip from Las Palmas airport to Dublin," barrister Paul McGarry said in the Circuit Civil Court.
Mr McGarry told Judge Matthew Deery that following the near collision the plane seriously malfunctioned, resulting in a series of bangs and flashes which caused a cabin blackout at more than 30,000 feet.
He said the plane had been plunged into darkness and terrified passengers endured 90 minutes of severe trauma, anxiety, and shock on board the blacked-out airliner as it burned off fuel during a terrifying descent to a safe emergency landing at Tenerife.
A group of 20 holidaymakers from the North were among the 100-plus passengers, all of whom had booked their package holidays through Panorama Holiday Group Ltd whose headquarters are at College Green, Dublin.
Secret
Mr McGarry told the Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Deery, that claims for up to €38,000 compensation each had been taken by the Northern Ireland passengers, 19 of whom had accepted undisclosed settlement offers.
The mid-air drama, which took place nine years ago on the night of July 29 2000, might have remained a tightly guarded secret but for the fact that two-year-old Sonnie Boyce, of Cullingtree Road, Belfast, was among the passengers.
His claim for damages as a minor, through his parents Brenda and John, had to be approved by the court . And so the story of the mishap had to be heard before a judge.
Mr McGarry said Panorama Holiday Group had offered Sonnie €2,500 compensation and he was recommending the court's approval of the settlement.
It is believed the €38,000 compensation claims of other passengers were settled in the region of from €10,000 to €15,000 and costs in each case.
The court did not hear of what had occurred to claims by holidaymakers from the Republic.Most likely all were similarly settled.
Mr McGarry told the court to strike out the other claims from Northern Ireland. He said all of those claims had now been settled.
- Ray Managh

What next.

CaptainSkidmark · 25-06-2009 10:24am

I taught Futura went bust last summer?

ch252 · 25-06-2009 10:26am

Sounds like something out of the star,
Terror for tourists; plane plunged; near-miss, which half the time probably meant the pilot was only instructed to expedite the descent!:p

They did captain, but this was a report about an event that happened 9 years ago I think, they must be pretty stuck for news if this is the best they can come up with!