Video: Puerto Rico Bound Flight Diverts To Island
[Updated with video] Jet Blue flight 861 — which was traveling from Boston to Puerto Rico — diverted to Bermuda this afternoon [Aug 26], with emergency personnel standing by as the plane landed, with the Police Service, Fire Service as well as ambulances present. Why the Airbus A320 airplane diverted is not exactly clear, however the landing appeared to go without incident.
Update: A BMOC spokesperson said, “RCC Bermuda was contacted by the Bermuda Air Traffic Control Tower regarding the emergency diversion of a Jet Blue Airbus A320 aircraft with 94 persons onboard.
“A 51 year-old female passenger was experiencing oxygen tank problems and required assistance while the aircraft crew additionally reported mechanical problems with the cockpit floor suffering distortion suspected to be caused by heat.
“The aircraft was 8 minutes from landing at the time of report, diverting from a flight from Boston, U.S.A., to Puerto Rico, and was reported landed without incident by Bermuda Air Traffic Control Tower at 4:56 pm.”
Just a question – why do these planes always land here? Can they not land in the U.S.? Unless they are flying from the U.S, I don’t understand why they are all landing here. Can someone explain please? Thanks
Correction – Unless they are flying from the U.S. to the U.K. or vise versa…
Boston to Puerto Rico, seems like the flight path would take it right over Bermuda most times, why add an extra hour+ to landing it in a US East coast city?
It’s because Bermuda is in the perfect geographic location for any flight to divert here. Since there is no other airport for 600 miles in any direction, any flight which encounters mechanical, medical, or anti-social behaviour between passengers on board in Bermudas’s vicinity may choose to land here, especially when time is critical to get on the ground.
When flying long transatlantic flights, pilots are always constantly aware of the next diversion airports in the event of an emergency. So Bermuda, along with Halifax, St. John’s in Newfoundland, the Azores, and Shannon in Ireland are typical places they consider. Bermuda was even a place the space shuttle could have landed in the event of an emergency after launch from Cape Canaveral.
The more you know…
Good explanation. I wasn’t sure their flightplan was so far out. I thought they would fly closer to the coastline.
Goodnight JohnBoy. And stop talking in your sleep please.
HAAAAAA!!!
My guess is that they land here because it’s the closest point enroute that can provide medical/mechanical assistance…
And the PLP has to say?????????????????no mouth pice for this one. Surely the OBA has done some underhanded privatization deal. I stand to be corrected but any flight that lands here pays some sort of fee.
This seems like some Koh-Kane Cowboys type ish.