A passenger on board a plane forced to make an emergency landing because of a fault has praised the crew, saying: “Thank God they knew what they were doing.”
Mike Kaufman told Sky News that passengers burst into applause then called their loved ones after the Boeing 747 jumbo landed safely despite a landing gear fault.
He described the moment passengers were told they would have to assume a brace position for an emergency landing, saying a sigh was heard throughout the plane.
“We were half an hour to an hour in and they said we had to go back to Gatwick.
“When they first said ‘brace position’ and ‘emergency landing’ you could see a sort of look or sigh go through the plane.”
As the plane approached the runway, he said: “You do feel nervous. We just wanted it over and done with.”
After the safe landing, he said people on board were calling loved ones and sending texts.
“Everyone gave a big round of applause to the flight team when we landed, you can imagine the relief.
“We can’t wait to get back into the terminal for a gin and tonic or a vodka tonic.”
He said that despite the concern on the ground, many of the passengers did not realise there had been “such a fuss” while they were in the air.
“The crew were very calm – we’re all busy Googling and looking at Sky News now because we didn’t realise there had been such a fuss, because it had been a calm experience.”
As a result of the mid-air drama, Mr Kaufman ruled out riding a rollercoaster when he eventually reaches Las Vegas.
“We were talking about going on a rollercoaster in Vegas when we got there, but that is off the menu.
“We don’t need a rollercoaster ride after this flight!”
Another passenger, Holly Jackson, told Sky News: “I’ve had better days. It was just very, very scary for everyone on board.
“As we landed everyone was screaming ‘brace’ like in a film.”
She said that when she saw the gathered emergency services on the runway as the plane was landing, there were a few seconds when she thought: “Is my life going to end now or not?
Source Article from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/relieved-passengers-applause-safe-landing-171007160.html
Relieved Passengers' Applause For Safe Landing
No comments:
Post a Comment