§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what factors underlie the number of emergency take-offs and landings at Heathrow during the past three years; and what assessment he has made of the public safety implications of trends in these figures. [34111]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe number and type of emergency situations declared by pilots of aircraft landing at or taking off from Heathrow Airport in the last three years are listed in the following table. The majority of these emergencies were declared as a precautionary measure and involved no immediate danger to the aircraft.
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Reason for emergency 1995 1996 1997 Low fuel 1 1 3 Medical (Passengers and crew) 2 5 3 Engine problems 2 2 3 Suspected fires — 3 — Mechanical etc. problems 4 6 8 Burst tyres — 1 — Wake vortex encounters — 1 — Birdstrikes — — 2 Lightening strike — — 1 Total 9 19 20