A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Valencia was evacuated after smoke filled the cabin shortly before landing. The airline confirmed an incident on flight BA422, which departed at 15:10 BST on Monday with 175 passengers, two pilots, and six cabin crew on board.
Passengers described the experience as terrifying, with white smoke appearing through the air conditioning system about 10 minutes before scheduled landing. Rachel Jupp, editor of BBC Panorama, who was on the flight with her children, said the smoke spread quickly, making it impossible to see passengers two seats away. The pilot made a smooth landing despite the cockpit being full of smoke, requiring him to wear a gas mask.
After landing, cabin crew struggled to open emergency exits for three to four minutes. Passengers then slid down emergency chutes to the runway, with some sustaining injuries. Daniel Kietzmann said his wife hit the tarmac hard due to lack of assistance, and both were bruised. Three passengers were taken to hospital and later discharged.
British Airways apologised and stated that all passengers were evacuated safely. Additional team members were sent to Valencia to assist customers. Affected passengers were offered accommodation at a local hotel, and an alternative aircraft was being sourced for the return flight to London.
