Emergency service crews flocked to Manchester Airport on March 19, following an incident involving Ryanair Flight RK558 from Dublin to Manchester. It is now believed that they were responding to a hydraulic fuel leak from the aircraft.
Emergency services respond
Thursday, March 19, Ryanair Flight RK558 landed at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 3 just after 6 p.m.. Shortly after its arrival, firefighter and ambulance crews were called to the scene due to a ‘mechanical problem’. Photographs taken by onlookers show emergency service vehicles clustered around the aircraft as it sits on the runway. Smoke was also seen coming from the aircraft, but no crew or passengers have been reported as injured.
Once passengers had safely disembarked, the plane was examined by firefighters as a precaution. The number of emergency personnel on the scene was eventually scaled back.
Operations at the airport were also briefly halted, with no flights landing or taking off for around half an hour. Flights later resumed as normal, although some passengers experienced delayed departure times.
The aftermath of the incident
It has since been confirmed that the incident in question involved a hydraulic fluid leak from the plane. This occurred due to an unspecified issue during loading after the plane landed.
On Friday, the day after the incident, a spokesperson for Ryanair issued the following statement:
“Flight RK558 from Dublin to Manchester (March 19) experienced a minor tech issue upon landing. Passengers and crew disembarked normally, and the aircraft was towed back to stand to be inspected by Ryanair engineers.”
Neither the airline nor the airport have confirmed exactly what caused the fuel leak, but the airport has now resumed operating as usual.
Have you ever flown from Manchester Airport? What do you think about this incident? Let us know in the comments below!
