Sharm el-Sheikh flight from Stansted dodged missile last August

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

A plane carrying British holidaymakers to Sharm el-Sheikh came within 300 metres (1,000ft) of a missile as it neared the Egyptian airport in August, the government has confirmed.

A Thomson Airways flight from London Stansted to the Red Sea resort, carrying 189 passengers, took evasive action after the missile was spotted in its trajectory by the pilot. The crew of flight TOM 476 landed the plane safely and passengers were not advised of the incident, which occurred on 23 August.

The incident is not thought to be directly linked to Britain’s decision to curtail flights to Sharm el-Sheikh in the wake of the crash of the Russian Metrojet airliner, killing 224 people, last Saturday. However, it will underline fears that regional instability could threaten flights, as more countries joined Britain in restricting air travel and imposing tougher security measures.

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that the incident took place but said it did not believe the missile was an attempt to target the British plane, instead ascribing the missile seen by the Thomson pilots to Egyptian military manoeuvres. Airlines are currently prohibited from flying below 26,000 feet over the Sinai peninsula due to fears that Islamic militants fighting the Egyptian government could have weapons capable of bringing down a plane.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/06/missed-by-a-1000-feet-how-british-holidaymakers-came-close-to-being-hit-by-a-missile-in-august

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I find it amazing that Egypt does stuff like that right next to flight paths. And I wonder if there's more to it than that.

[erronis]

1. OK, now I feel much better. Honey pack your bags for an exciting vacation.

Oh, it's half-price. Just a one-way ticket.

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that the incident took place but said it did not believe the missile was an attempt to target the British plane, instead ascribing the missile seen by the Thomson pilots to Egyptian military manoeuvres.

[roamer65]

2. The war in Syria is going to take on a whole different facet...

once the official word comes out it was a bomb/missile that brought the Russian plane down.

Just remember what the Russians did at Grozny and that should suffice.

[CJCRANE]

3. We need to wait and see if the Egyptian gov't confirms or denies this.

There is more to it than we're being told.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. How the fuck does a commercial pilot see an incoming missile?

Like, seriously.

[BlueJazz]

5. They have radar. It's used to spot other planes but also...the bad stuff.

[SoapBox]

6. Hmmmmmm...

There is something in the back of my mind, that bothers me about all the breathlessness this week over bombs, misses and Isis...there is just something that makes me question all these almost wild stories but with absolutely no evidence produced...thus far.

So this story...missile came within 1000 feet...but at exactly what altitude? I glanced at the article and only see "as it neared" the airport. That could be pretty darned low in relation to cruise altitude. If the region remains very clear in regards to weather, a missile launch depending on size and type, may have been visible from the cockpit at a low altitude. The pilot took action but how dramatic (since the passengers were not told and it apparently did not cause panic)...and what happened to the missile?

I'm still suspicious, until they show us something better, that the tail section came off, from that previous damage and absolutely none of the parties involved want to get blamed for that.

EDIT...I'll leave the above...but I missed the part about Egyptian military maneuvers...for gawds sakes.

[msongs]

7. when it starts costing loss of real big $$ amounts maybe the arabs will do something about their

naughty terrorists

[roamer65]

8. The House of Saud is in a real hard spot.

They throw in the towel in Syria and the Wahhabi'ists in the KSA and that return from Syria will overthrow them.

They escalate in Syria and they will start a large ME war with Russia, Iran and other Shias, possibly WW3.


I think the monarchy's days are very numbered and all these problems flow back to two sources...Riyadh and Langley.

[Sunlei]

9. Egypts tourism industry was the backbone of their economy. Gone now.

[daleo]

11. They may have to sell all that grain stored in the pyramids, after all

[daleo]

10. The part about an Egyptian military test is not believable

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. When my family and I plan our vacations, the phrase "long-running insurgency" is

usually a deal breaker on a vacation option.

Just sayin'...