Engine fault after departure

A Saudi Arabian military transport aircraft, a C-130 with 48 people on board, had stopped in Crete to refuel before taking off from Heraklion for Poland. Over the Argolida region, one of its four engines malfunctioned. The crew reported the fault to the relevant services and asked to make an emergency landing at the airport it had departed from.

Emergency response at the airport

Heraklion airport was placed on emergency alert around midday on Thursday, 22 October, and the activation of the standard Emergency status was reported. Fire service units were deployed so they could intervene immediately if the landing required it. According to a report citing ekriti.gr, four fire engines rushed to the airport, and all of the airport service's vehicles, along with EMAK, were on standby.

Landing and aftermath

Despite the technical fault, the crew completed the approach and landed without difficulty at 15:00. Fire vehicles escorted the aircraft after it touched down, and it was taken to parking stand 13 at the airport. A technical inspection of the affected engine is planned to establish the cause of the malfunction. No injuries were reported, and initial information indicates that all 48 people on board are in good health.