A transatlantic flight was forced to divert to Shannon Airport this evening after suffering issues with its navigation system shortly before it was due to commence its crossing of the North Atlantic.
National Airlines flight NCR9873 was travelling from Châteauroux in France to Bangor in the US state of Maine at the time.
The Airbus A330-300 jet entered Irish airspace off the southeast coast shortly after 5.30pm and made contacted by air traffic controllers. The flight crew advised controllers that they were considering not commencing their oceanic crossing and were considering diverting.
The crew later confirmed they wished to divert to Shannon Airport. It’s understood the crew experienced a technical issue with the aircraft’s navigation system that wouldn’t allow them continue across the Atlantic.
The flight turned around off the Clare coast and remained at an altitude of 28,000 feet before descending to 8,000 feet and entering a holding pattern for about 35 minutes before commencing an approach to Shannon. This was to burn off aviation fuel so that the aircraft could touch down within safe landing weight limits.
The flight crew later confirmed they would be making a normal landing and would not require an assistance. The flight landed without incident at 6.50pm.
It’s understood the aircraft had been in storage in Châteauroux for some time and only returned to the air last month when it undertook a test flight. It’s believed the jet was being ferried to the US ahead of entering commercial service when it diverted to Shannon.
