Air Traffic Controllers reported an incident involving a Jet2 flight from Birmingham to Tenerife yesterday (Saturday) after experiencing problems with the flaps on the plane making landing difficult and more complicated.
The flaps, which are critical components located on the wings near the fuselage, help increase lift during take-off and allow the aircraft to reduce speed on landing. Without fully operational flaps, the aircraft had to approach the runway at a higher-than-normal speed.
The incident occurred at 12:25pm during a period of heavy air traffic, with controllers holding several flights in a waiting pattern while the problem with flight LS2185 was addressed.
After conducting necessary checks on board, and with the Emergency Services on standby on the ground, the pilot set up the plane for a high-speed landing at Tenerife South Airport. Thanks to the expertise of the crew, the landing was successful, and no further complications arose.
Once the runway was inspected and cleared, air traffic controllers began sequencing the remaining flights to land, gradually clearing the backlog of waiting planes. The professional handling of the situation by both the flight crew and air traffic control ensured that the incident was resolved smoothly.
In a separate incident, later in the day at 5:45pm, an aircraft collided with a bird during its approach to the airport. As a precaution, air traffic controllers ordered other flights to abort their landings while the runway was inspected for potential damage. This incident also happened during a peak arrival period, causing additional delays.
