A British Airways flight traveling from London to Oslo, Norway, was forced to make an emergency landing in Holland after smoke reportedly filled the cockpit mid-air.

The Captain alerted air traffic controllers about the situation, prompting the decision to land immediately at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Emergency vehicles and fire engines were dispatched to the runway as the Airbus A320, carrying up to 190 passengers, touched down.

Terrified passengers were informed that the emergency landing was due to safety concerns, and they were evacuated through the rear door, furthest from the affected cockpit area. Flight BA764 departed from Heathrow shortly after 5 pm, but the distress call was issued just 90 minutes into the flight. The aircraft landed at 7:38 pm, temporarily blocking the runway until emergency services cleared it.

The incident caused delays at Schiphol airport, with the schedule adjusted to accommodate the emergency landing. Investigators are now examining the jet to determine the cause of the reported smoke. Passengers were accommodated in hotels in Amsterdam overnight and were able to resume their journey to Oslo the following day with a different aircraft.

A source described the situation as alarming, emphasizing the seriousness of smoke in the cockpit at 30,000 feet. The decision to land the plane on a remote runway was made to keep the smoking aircraft away from the terminal building. British Airways issued a statement, apologizing to customers for the disruption to their travel plans and attributing the emergency landing to a minor technical issue onboard. Photo by Magic Aviation, France, Wikimedia commons.