Passengers were sobbing and texting their goodbyes to relatives

'There was a huge blast... air was rushing into the cabin like a gale'

A British tourist told yesterday of his flight of terror when he claims an emergency exit on a super jumbo blew open at 27,000ft.
Freezing air blasted in and the cabin pressure plunged after the door in business class came an inch and a half ajar, leaving a gaping hole, said Mr Reid.

As passengers wept in terror, he said, a petrified stewardess ran down the aisle and screamed ‘the door’s going to go’ before cowering behind her seat.

Astonishingly, according to Mr Reid, instead of making an emergency landing,

An Emirates spokesman said: ‘We can confirm there was a whistling noise emanating from one of the doors on the A380 upper deck on flight EK384 between Bangkok and Hong Kong on Monday, February 11. At no point was the safety of the flight in jeopardy.’
An Airbus spokesman said: ‘It is not possible for a cabin door to open on an A380 or on any aircraft whilst in flight, as doors open inwards and have locking mechanisms.

They are lucky to be alive. Doors can open fully in flight on A380s even at 50,000 feet so the staff can check the engines and stuff.
- TheBeef, Essex, United Kingdom, 15/2/2013 23:25
Click to rate Rating 307

I am cabin crew on the A380 of another airline. I can say with certainty that this story is a complete lie. Lets begin with the picture: The green light visible has nothing to do with the door - that indicator is for the phone and call lights.... someone simply want more champagne.. The statement from EK is correct, the doors open inwards and are fixed into place like a plug. The cabin pressure SEALS them, not pushes them out. I notice the passenger claims he could see the air outside.... and yet no masks fell??? Alas a complete impossibility. Any sudden shifting of cabin pressure triggers the automatic mask system. He also claims the FA "hid under her chair", Unless she is a pixie - again, impossible (the chair is visible in the picture... if you can even see, you will see why this is so). This guy must be a fisherman.. the tale is much bigger than the sum of its parts...
- Ruddiger, Melbourne, 16/2/2013 0:41
Click to rate Rating 1325

The UK Airprox Board has received no reports of a near miss

Aviation experts believe that the two aircraft may have passed within 2,000 - 3,000 ft of each other - putting them just 650 yards apart

And, according to the CAA, the picture suggests that the two aircraft are too far apart to be classified as a close call.

Richard Taylor, from the CAA, said: 'My initial impression is that this is not an airprox - near miss - incident and that the two aircraft are in fact several miles apart.

To the DM. In father Ted voice, this cow is small but those ones are far away.
- Jon, Southend on Sea, 3/5/2013 19:35
Click to rate Rating 11

The plane’s engine stalled and cut out while the blaze ripped through the aircraft, leaving it flying with just one engine.

More terror in the sky.

For those not in the know, the event was on a Lufthansa Airbus A319, and the lower picture is a Lufthansa Airbus A380. If the DM can't even differentiate between those two, then I'm serious worried that their articles about Kim Kardassian should have been about Kevin Kardassian ! Or maybe they been confusing Margaret Thatcher with Margaret Beckett !! Oh the horror.