Hand baggage ‘a threat to lives’

Air accident investigators have expressed concern at how passengers are putting their lives at risk by insisting on taking hand baggage with them during emergency evacuations from aircraft.

It follows publication of an official report into an incident when smoke filled the cockpit and cabin of a Ryanair aircraft on landing at Kerry Airport on Dec 21, 2010.

The Boeing 737 aircraft was on a flight from Stansted with 170 passengers and seven crew on board.