Sudden panic in the plane: pilot arrives with breathing protection and fire extinguisher!

Mauritius - It was supposed to be a relaxed return flight from the vacation paradise of Mauritius, but for the 303 passengers on Austrian Airlines (AUA) flight OS18 it ended in a turbulent experience.

A defect in an electronic device in the storage compartment could not initially be ruled out. (symbolic image)
A defect in an electronic device in the storage compartment could not initially be ruled out. (symbolic image)  © 123rf/suwanb

On Sunday morning, the plane took off on schedule for Vienna, but after more than an hour of flight time, panic suddenly broke out in the back rows, as reported by the Krone newspaper.

The reason: a light began to flicker and then failed completely. The passengers in the rear section were taken away so that the perplexed crew could search for the trigger.

According to an eyewitness, they kept reaching into luggage compartments, probably to see if they were hot.

"After a few minutes, more and more crew members arrived, including a pilot, equipped with breathing masks and fire extinguishers," said a concerned family father. The fire extinguisher was then sprayed on the luggage in the back row and on all openings.

After this action, the passengers were initially informed that they could continue their journey to Vienna - 30 minutes later, however, the decision was made to return.

As it was not possible to determine exactly what had caused the problem and passenger safety was the top priority, the aircraft had to return to Mauritius for investigation. "The technical department discovered a loose connection in one of the installed lamps," said AUA spokeswoman Yvonne Wachholder.

The return flight from beautiful Mauritius turned into a nerve-wracking drama for the travelers. (symbolic image)
The return flight from beautiful Mauritius turned into a nerve-wracking drama for the travelers. (symbolic image)  © 123rf/goodolga

Further hurdles awaited after the emergency landing

The affected Boeing 777 had to make an emergency landing in Mauritius. (symbolic image)
The affected Boeing 777 had to make an emergency landing in Mauritius. (symbolic image)  © ALEX HALADA/AFP

Even after arriving in Mauritius again, the travelers still had to endure a lot. The high season in Mauritius led to long waiting times before hotels could be found for accommodation.

One of the holidaymakers told of a journey in a coach "with broken doors, no seatbelts and no luggage compartments".

On arrival at the hotel, the room was actually too small for the family and the father slept on the floor.

Austrian Airlines sincerely apologized to the affected passengers. The next OS18 flight to Vienna yesterday, Monday, went without a hitch.