Cockpit smoke prompts Lufthansa landing
October 19, 2016
The German news agency DPA and "Die Welt" newspaper reported Wednesday that the source of the smoke could not be identified after a safe landing.
Lufthansa, like other airlines, recently banned the use of a new model mobile phone, the Galaxy Note 7, on its flights after Samsung recalled several million of its devices on fears that faulty batteries could catch fire.
Lufthansa said the crew of 18 landed the airliner at Gander on Canada's east coast while wearing breathing masks.
"Due to the smoke, the cockpit crew decided to re-route the plane to Newfoundland and landed there safely," a spokesman said.
Destination Florida
Tuesday's trans-Atlantic flight LH 464 from Frankfurt was en route to Orlando in the southern state of Florida.
"Die Welt" said emergency exits were not activated and it quoted passengers as saying the pilots had kept them well briefed during the landing, described by Lufthansa as "precautionary."
A substitute aircraft was provided to forward passengers to their destination, Lufthansa said.
Leave Samsung at home!
Lufthansa issued a pointed Twitter message on Tuesday, telling customers that "Samsung Note 7 smart phones are not permitted on any of our flights. Please leave them at home!"
DPA said there were "serious conflicts" with passengers last weekend in the United States because they refused to leave their devices behind without receiving substitutes.
At German airports, Samsung had positioned employees to offer substitute devices to departing passengers.
ipj/jm (dpa, Reuters)