'Emergency Announcement' Startles Air Passengers Over North Sea
275 passengers on a British Airways flight from London feared for their lives when an announcement came over the in-cabin speaker system announcing that they were about to make an emergency landing while over the North Sea.
Passengers settling in for the long flight to Hong Kong were stunned upon hearing the automated female voice calmly state “This is an emergency announcement. We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on water.”
Gasps and screams filled the cabin as passengers suddenly thought they might die. Many began to get into the emergency landing position pictured on emergency cards in their seat pockets while others closed their eyes in silent prayer
Apparently triggered by a computer error, not by an actual emergency, the startling announcement was immediately halted. Upon realizing the error, the cabin crew on the 747 hurried down the aisles calming passengers and assuring them that it was an errant announcement.
“We would like to apologize to passengers on board the flight for causing them undue distress,” a British Airlines spokesperson later said.
“Our cabin crew immediately made an announcement following the message advising customers that it was played in error and that the flight would continue as normal.”
One traveler was quoted as saying, “I can’t think of anything worse than being told your plane’s about to crash.”
“Our cabin crew immediately made an announcement following the message advising customers that it was played in error and that the flight would continue as normal.”
One traveler was later quoted as saying, “I can’t think of anything worse than being told your plane’s about to crash.”
