Unsecured door on Boeing 737 causes Forced landing at Piarco airport.

A light indicating that a door on a Continental Airlines passenger aircraft was not secure forced the pilot to land the airplane shortly after it took off from Piarco International Airport yesterday morning. The incident also brought out emergency response agencies, including the Fire Service, which activated emergency plans as the airplane returned to the airport at 10.35 am.

A release from Zola Pilgrim, corporate communications manager of the Airports Authority of T&T, said the Boeing 737 Continental Airlines Flight CO1548 carrying 125 passengers departed the airport at 9.24 am for Houston in the United States. “The pilot observing a light indicating a door on the aircraft was not secure advised the Air Traffic Control Tower.

“Although the pilot did not declare an emergency, emergency response agencies, including the Fire Service activated their emergency plans.” Pilgrim said none of the 125 passengers or six crew members were injured. She said the problem was rectified and the aircraft departed a second time for Houston at 11.53 am. She said no other flights at Piarco were hampered by the incident and all operations continued on schedule. Transport Minister Devant Maharaj said, however, that the airplane’s landing coincided with an exercise being carried out by the Fire Service. “This caused some blockage of the BWIA Boulevard and created some traffic,” he said. “The Airports Authority had to ask Fire service personnel to remove their vehicle,” Maharaj said.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt