Inflight meal burning in an electric stove caused Russian Aeroflot Airbus A320 jet, with 152 passengers aboard, to make emergency landing soon after takeoff.
Domestic Aeroflot flight was en route from Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi to “Northern Capital” city of St. Petersburg, when the cabin crew alerted the captain about smoke in the passenger jet’s kitchen, shortly after the takeoff.
Almost immediately, the smoke, coming from an electrical stove, started to fill the main cabin.
The cabin crew quickly turned the stove off and the aircraft’s captain contacted air traffic control to request an immediate return and emergency landing at Sochi airport. Captain’s request was granted and emergency crews were sent to the runway.
The flight landed safely at the Black Sea air hub ten minutes later.
After investigation it was determined that the smoke was caused by porridge getting into the electric stove’s heating spiral due to the fact that its packaging had not been properly sealed.
The furnace was replaced and the aircraft was cleared for operation, but passengers who have already deplaned, had to wait almost five hours for another flight.
