Saudi Arabia announces Sunday as first day of Eid Al Fitr    Crown Prince orders key real estate reforms in Riyadh to stabilize land and rental prices    King Salman, Crown Prince extend condolences to Thailand's king over earthquake victims    Tourism Ministry enforces closure orders, warns violators of penalties    Elon Musk's xAI acquires X in all-stock deal    Makkah and Madinah mobile data usage exceeds global average during Ramadan: CST    US, Japan mark 80th anniversary of Iwo Jima battle with memorial service    Trump signals openness to auto tariff deal    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Trump renews push to acquire Greenland    Myanmar earthquake death toll climbs to 144    Over 2.5 million attend Khatm Al-Qur'an prayers in Makkah    Saudi non-oil exports jump 10.7% in January    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Disney's Snow White film tops box office despite bad reviews    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



‘I'm going to die': Panicked passenger recalls Indonesia plane collision
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 06 - 04 - 2016

Passengers feared for their lives as their plane set fire and filled the cabin with the stench of gasoline following a collision with another aircraft on an Indonesian runway, an eyewitness said Tuesday.
A Batik Air plane with 49 passengers and seven crew on board was taking off from the Jakarta airport when it clipped a TransNusa aircraft being towed across the runway late Monday.
The collision sheared off a section of the wing and started a fire, sparking panic inside the cabin.
"When I saw the fire I told myself ‘I'm going to die in this plane'," passenger Faisal Ibrahim said.
He said fellow travelers shouted "fire!" when they saw the wing ablaze and demanded the crew open the emergency door, fearing an imminent explosion. "The fire spread so quickly, and there was a smell of gasoline inside."
The plane stopped abruptly after the pilot aborted the takeoff, and the crew opened the emergency doors, allowing passengers to safely evacuate. No one was injured in the incident.
Emergency crews on site at Halim Perdanakusuma airport — primarily a military and government terminal that services some commercial domestic routes — extinguished the blaze but scorch marks were visible on the wing after the collision.
The tail of the ATR craft operated by TransNusa, another domestic carrier, was also mangled.
The transport ministry said it launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, and concedes safety guidelines were not followed.
"If everyone followed the rules, this wouldn't have happened," transport ministry spokesperson J.A. Barata said.
Indonesia's air travel industry is booming but it has a dismal air safety record and reputation for chaotic regulation.
In 2013 a Lion Air jet with a rookie pilot at the controls undershot the runway and crashed into the sea in Bali, splitting the plane in two.
Lion Air Group, which runs Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier Lion Air, is also the parent company of Batik Air.
In December the following year an AirAsia plane crash between Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya and Singapore killed all 162 people on board.


Clic here to read the story from its source.