Eighteen passengers sustained injuries during an emergency evacuation of a Ryanair flight at Palma de Mallorca Airport after a false fire warning triggered chaos aboard the aircraft preparing for takeoff to Manchester.
The incident occurred in the early hours of July 5 when Ryanair Flight RK3446 was taxiing for departure. A smoke detector malfunction prompted the crew to initiate emergency evacuation procedures, but some passengers jumped from the aircraft’s wings to the tarmac below, sustaining broken bones and sprains.
Six passengers required hospitalization following the evacuation of the Boeing 737-800, while 12 others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. The aircraft’s emergency slides were deployed, but passengers using overwing exits had no inflatable slides for safe egress.
“This flight from Palma to Manchester, on July 4, discontinued take-off due to a false fire warning light indication,” Ryanair said in a statement. “Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal. While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.) and the crew requested immediate medical assistance.”
Passenger Describes ‘Utter Chaos’
One passenger described the panicked scene that unfolded as alarms sounded throughout the cabin. Savanah, 26, from Whitefield, Manchester, said her 57-year-old mother broke her ankle and required surgery, while another friend suffered a fractured foot, elbow, and wrist.
“All of a sudden I heard a bang. It didn’t worry me too much. Then everyone was screaming and running. The air stewardess screamed, ‘get off the plane’, leave your belongings. It was utter chaos. We got off via the wing. There were no slides,” Savanah told Manchester Evening News.
A flight attendant screamed for passengers to evacuate as people fell over each other scrambling to escape the aircraft, according to passenger accounts.
Emergency Response
Emergency services responded to reports of a fire at 12:36 a.m., dispatching four ambulances to meet the aircraft on the apron. Firefighters and the Spanish Civil Guard also responded to the scene.
A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination center confirmed that 18 people were injured, with six transported to local hospitals for treatment.
Aircraft Grounded, Flight Delayed
The 15-year-old Ryanair UK Boeing 737-800 (registration G-RUKN) remained grounded in Mallorca more than 36 hours after the evacuation, according to Flightradar24 data.
The aircraft had operated the inbound journey from Manchester earlier that evening and was scheduled for its eighth segment of the day when the incident occurred.
Ryanair deployed a replacement Boeing 737-800 from Naples to complete the route. The substitute flight departed Palma de Mallorca at 7:05 a.m. and arrived in Manchester at 8:32 a.m., approximately eight hours behind schedule.
Several passengers injured in the evacuation were not permitted to board the replacement flight due to their medical conditions.
Key Takeaways
- 18 passengers injured during emergency evacuation at Palma de Mallorca Airport, with six requiring hospitalization for broken bones and sprains.
- False fire warning light triggered evacuation of Ryanair Flight RK3446 bound for Manchester during taxi for takeoff.
- Passengers jumped from wings without emergency slides, causing most injuries as overwing exits lacked inflatable evacuation equipment.
- Emergency response deployed four ambulances, firefighters and Civil Guard after 12:36 a.m. fire alert.
- Flight delayed eight hours with replacement Boeing 737-800 from Naples; original aircraft remained grounded 36+ hours.
