Passengers onboard a British Airways Airbus A319 at Stuttgart Airport were evacuated after a hydraulic fluid leak activated a smoke alert as boarding was being completed. Although there were no injuries among those onboard, five members of the ground crew were injured, four of which attended hospital as a result.
The incident unfolded as British Airways flight BA921 prepared to depart Stuttgart Airport (STR) in Germany heading to London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) on June 8, 2024. The scheduled departure time for the flight was 22:00 local time. The flight had 93 passengers and six crew onboard as it waited for the ground crew to complete their checks before the aircraft was pushed back from its parking stand.
According to a report published by the Aviation Herald, the ground crew went to close one of the aircraft’s two lower deck cargo doors following the completion of the loading of passenger baggage. However, a leak from a hydraulic line activated a smoke alert onboard the aircraft, caused by a technical defect in the hydraulic system of the cargo door.
The plane was evacuated as a result of the alert, according to the airline’s standard operating procedures. Five ground workers received injuries from the leaking hydraulic oil, and four of them were taken to a hospital for further evaluation to assess their injuries, according to a statement issued by Stuttgart police. The airport fire and rescue service dispatched a total of 33 vehicles onto the scene, including fire appliances and ambulances. Two police patrol cars also attended the incident.
The flight to London was subsequently canceled, with all passengers being rebooked onto flights the following day.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A319-100 registered as G-EUPR. It was delivered to British Airways in October 2000 making it 23.7 years old. The aircraft returned to London on June 9. 2024 under a positioning flight number BA9276 and has since completed four rotations on June 10, 2024, and is currently flying between London-Heathrow and Glasgow (GLA) as BA1476 at the time of writing.