Relief on social media as Virgin Atlantic flight lands safely at Gatwick

People took to social media to express their relief at the safe landing of a Virgin Atlantic flight at Gatwick this afternoon.
W29528H13

Gatwick Airport Feature. ENGPPP00120130110125442W29528H13

Gatwick Airport Feature. ENGPPP00120130110125442
W29528H13 Gatwick Airport Feature. ENGPPP00120130110125442

Bound for Las Vegas this morning the VS043 suffered a technical issue with one of its landing gears and had to turn back, and circled over Horsham, Mid Sussex, Newhaven and Peacehaven before making a safe landing at Gatwick shortly before 4pm this afternoon.

Emergency services were put on standby but according to a spokesperson for South East Coast Ambulance Service no passengers or crew require any medical attention at present.
Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, tweeted: “My thanks to @Gatwick_Airport based emergency services and professionalism of @VirginAtlantic crew following safe landing of #VS43 just now.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Former Great British Bake Off contestant Cathryn Dresser tweeted: “Oh my gosh so relieved to read flight #VS43 landed safely.”

Charlotte Jones, from Haywards Heath, tweeted: “Very pleased to hear #VS43 has landed safely, huge well done to crew.”

Laura Foreman wrote on the West Sussex County Times Facebook page: “It was also circling over Roffey about 1.35pm, my partner and I saw it and thought how low it was!

“It was quite scary as it was very low and looked like it was in trouble.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Liam Marshall Ascough, a Crawley borough councillor, added on Twitter: “Pilots & crew did a fantastic job! Incredibly proud of my colleagues! #vs43.”

Twitter users in Crowborough, Newhaven and Seaford also posted messages and photos of the flight passing overhead this afternoon.