A BOURNEMOUTH couple who were among passengers evacuated from a British Airways flight which filled with smoke as it came into land say they intend to sue the airline for damages.

Daniel Kietzmann, 38, and his wife, Andreea, 40, were onboard BA422 when the drama unfolded on August 5, just minutes from touching down at Valencia.

Witnesses said thick grey smoke flooded the cabin, oxygen masks for passengers failed to deploy and no annoucements were made by any cabin crew, sending many passengers into a panic.

Mrs Kietzmann said: “I started to shout ‘what is going on’ repeatedly, desperately hoping for an answer but none came. No answer from anyone. Others began to shout and more started to press the call steward button but again, nothing happened. No words, no answer. Nothing.

“I clearly remember thinking to myself ‘This is it, I am going to die’. It was honestly the worst moment of my 40 years of life.

“We waited in absolute terror amidst thick smoke, panicked crying, and shouting from passengers for a full ten minutes before we finally landed.

“Then we waited further...nothing happened.”

After landing passengers had to slide down emergency chutes to the runway.

Mr Kietzmann, from central Bournemouth, said: “Both myself and my wife were injured coming down the chutes and they seem to want to sweep it under the rug.

“Nobody was on hand when we went down the slide so my wife hit the tarmac very hard.

“We were left for hours in the terminal with ground crew that had no idea what was happening and nobody spoke English.”

Mr Kietzmann, who has not initiated any court action against BA, says the airline has not offered to refund the flight, instead offering £2,000 in airline vouchers and a wine hamper. “They have changed our lives forever because we will likely never fly again,” he added.

In the aftermath of the incident, BA apologised to the 175 passengers onboard the Airbus A321. At the time a BA spokesman said: “British Airways teams are assisting customers who are in the airport terminal.”

BA also said that team members had arrived in Valencia to help customers, in addition to the team already on site.

However, Mr Kietzmann said: “We never saw a BA staff member or representative from the moment we got off the plane.”