My curiosity is piqued and I think this is worthy of some sleuthing. Or at least someone with greater technical know-how than I to lend some possible explanations...
On Tuesday of this week I was aboard Virgin Atlantic's LHR-LAX service. About 90 minutes in to the flight we turned around and headed back to Heathrow.
After the turn-around, the captain informed us that there was "a technical issue that is preventing us from crossing the Atlantic". He explained that maintenance staff would meet the aircraft and attempt to resolve the issue, and he did not expect us to need to deplane.
However, upon landing, I was watching through the front-facing camera. As soon as we pulled up to the gate, bags began offloading and we were told to grab our carry-ons and immediately disembark. Two things of note:
- The aircraft was met by the police. Not Heathrow police. London Metropolitan Police. I counted three officers standing at the door when I stepped off.
- There was no maintenance personnel to be seen, either on the ground as far as I could see, or on the aircraft/at the door.
We were escorted to another gate, where another A350 was waiting, and after about an hour or so, we boarded that replacement aircraft. Same crew. Same FAs. One significant thing to note:
- Upon closing the doors of the original aircraft before take-off, the flight attendant had announced the number of people onboard: 172 passengers, 9 flight attendants, and 3 crew (I've heard this before on Virgin Atlantic; must be part of their SOPs?). BUT, when we boarded the replacement aircraft and doors were closed, that passenger count was 170 passengers, not 172 passengers.
We departed again normally with about a 4 hour delay.
So here's where my curiosity piques:
- Was this really a "technical" turn back? If so, what technical issues might prevent a plane from crossing an ocean (both engines were running, flight was proceeding normally as far as I could tell)? Radar? GPS? Radio? I'm stuck to think of something that would mean the aircraft could get as far as it did, and turn all the way back to Heathrow, that would apply only to oceanic crossing
- If not technical...the police presence and the 2 "missing" passengers on the replacement flight...could we have been dealing with someone(s) and/or something(s) on that original plane that shouldn't have been? No-fly list? Known suspect for something?
In short...what the heck happened here?
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein