A pressurization control system sensor indicating that a compression valve was not in position, was the cause of the emergency landing at Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens on Saturday, by the Portuguese Everjets Airbus A320-232 flight FCB729 from Thessaloniki to Larnaca.
According to flight details, the plane with 165 passengers on board while flying at 23,000 feet over Alonissos, alerted the pilot that a compression valve was not in position.
Despite indications that the pressure in the craft was normal and did not show signs of instability, the pilot, following company protocol, decided to bring the plane to a safe altitude, and to ask permission for an emergency landing.
The pilot brought the plane down to 10,000 feet and headed towards Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens.
Due to heavy air traffic and since the plane did not appear to be in any immediate danger, flight control requested the plane to circle the airport at 7,000 feet until it was given permission to land.
The plane circled the airport three times before landing at noon.
The plane has had a clean flight record without serious problems and was under Greek registry before being sold to Everjets in March.
Cyprus Weekly