American Airlines « wrong » plane and the Philadelphy-Napoli flight is diverted to Rome
It happened on June 3: the US company changes the Boeing 787 version to take the route to the last but forgets to deliver a document. The 276 passengers brought by bus to Naples
An American Airlines flight with 276 passengers on board Party from Philadelphia, the United States, and directed to Naples, was diverted to the last in Rome Fiumicino because the airline forgot to fill in and send a sheet to the Italian authorities thus depriving the authorization jet to land in the Campania capital. The deviation – told first on social networks by a specialized profile – is confirmed by two sources aware of the « misunderstanding » that reveal to Courier Even the real reasons.
Departure
The American Airlines AA780 flight takes off from Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, at 7.42 pm local of June 2 (1.42 at night on June 3 in Italy) with the destination Capodichino. The first anomaly that gives the eye-reading the characteristics of the aircraft used for that route-is that this time instead of the Boeing 787-8 the 787-9 is used, the same specimen but of a little larger. From what you learn, in fact, at the last one decides to change plane.
The discovery
The journey continues without problems and at 8.47 in the morning (Italian time) of June 3, the jet enters the Italian airspace. Over seven hours have passed and until now nobody reports critical issues of any kind. At 8.56 the pilots begin the descent to Naples. It is at that moment that from Italy – both airport side and side authority – note that a plane is coming to Capodichino that does not have all the documents in order.
The missing sheet
According to what the sources explain to Courier There would have been a document, called « Safety Estate » or « Arff » (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting), which the carriers must deliver to the airports and the civil aviation authorities for each specific model of plane that intend to use in each given stopover. In the absence of that – it is explained – the flight plan can also be approved, but it competes with the interior profiles for the Aviolinea make sure it is all in order.
The request to divert
From what results American Airlines has regularly presented the document for the Boeing 787-8 (used for the section in question), but not for 787-9. And so he is invited to continue towards the first « alternate » airport which is that of Rome Fiumicino. At 9.08 the jet deflects towards the airport and thirty -four minutes after the plane touches the track of the main Capitoline system.
The exchange of planes
The story does not end here though. Because at that point American Airlines decides to exchange the planes in Italy. The flight AA781 Naples-Filadelphia on June 3 is canceled. The Boeing 787-8 present in Fiumicino-arrived on the morning of June 3 from Chicago-is sent to Naples but only on June 4 to allow the crew to rest, as required by law, and then take off for Philadelphia. While the Boeing 787-9 erroneously sent to Naples and then diverted to Fiumicino it is used to carry out the Rome-chicago section already on June 3.
Confirmation of the carrier
« The flight 780 of American Airlines, which started from Filadelphia on June 2, was hijacked on Rome Fiumicino due to operational limitations », confirms via e-mail to Courier Ethan Klapper, spokesman for the US company. « The passengers continued the journey from Fiumicino to Naples by bus, and we apologize to them for this inconvenience ». Klapper did not want to provide more information about passengers and causes. No explanation even from Gesac, the management company of the Neapolitan airport.
