Virgin Atlantic Plane Had A Possible Fire In The Hold

A Virgin Atlantic A330 (similar aircraft pictured) on a flight from London to Orlando, FL, was forced to return to Gatwick Airport Monday when a fire was indicated in the hold.

The problem was discovered shortly after takeoff from Gatwick, according to a report in Reuters. An estimated 15 people were injured when the plane's emergency slides were used to evacuate the passengers. Most were scrapes and bruises, though some were said to have suffered broken bones and abdominal injuries as they slid onto the tarmac.

The airline would only confirm in a statement that the pilot had had a "technical problem on board the aircraft" and "decided as a precautionary measure to immediately evacuate the aircraft." Steve Ridgeway, the airline's CEO said that he could not confirm reports which popped up on Twitter indicating that there had been smoke in the cabin of the airplane. He said none of the passengers he spoke with mentioned smoke in the cabin.

There were 299 passengers and 13 crew on board the A330 which departed Gatwick just before 1100 local time Monday.

FMI: www.caa.co.uk