An Aer Lingus flight diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon after the crew declared a medical turned back over the Atlantic.
Flight EI-69 took off from Dublin at around 3.50pm on an 11-hour flight to Los Angeles on the US west coast. There were 257 passengers and crew on board.
The Airbus A330-200 jet was about 45 minutes into its journey and 300 kilometres west of the Ireland when the flight crew advised air traffic controllers that they might have be turning back and diverting.
The crew confirmed they a male passenger in his late 50s was receiving medical assistance from a doctor on board. The crew had also been in contact with a dedicated medical centre on the ground to seek advice.
After the passenger had been assessed, a decision was made to turn back and land at Shannon to seek medical assistance. The crew issued Pan-pan radio call which, although not as serious as a May-day, still indicates an urgency on board. The crew requested that a ‘cardiac ambulance’ be available for their arrival.
Authorities at Shannon Airport were alerted while the National Ambulance Service was contacted also requested to deploy resources to the airport.
The flight made a U-turn and rerouted to Shannon landing safely at 5.12pm. The Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service was placed on standby after the crew confirmed they would be making an ‘overweight landing’.
Airport fire crews were mobilised to holding positions adjacent to the runway and followed the aircraft down the runway after it landed. Fire crews remained with the aircraft until it had reached the terminal building to ensure the jet’s undercarriage hadn’t overheated during the overweight landed.
The patient was assessed at the airport by ambulance paramedics before being removed to University Hospital Limerick for further treatment.
