Malaysian Airlines flight: passengers recount mid air scare

B D Narayankar reports
     
Bangalore, Apr 21 (PTI) A Bangalore-bound Malaysian
Airlines plane with 166 people on board, which turned back
shortly after take-off last night due to problem in its
landing gear, flew into the international airport here today
with the passengers recounting the harrowing mid-air scare.
        "The plane landed at the Kempe Gowda International Airport
(KGIA) here exactly at 4.57 pm," airport sources said.
        Flight MH192 had turned back shortly after take-off last
night due to problem in its landing gear and landed safely at
Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1.56 am (local time).
        Malaysia Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein earlier
said on his Twitter feed that a tyre was reported to have
burst on take-off.
        The jet, operated on the B737-800 aircraft, had departed
from Kuala Lumpur at 10.09 pm (0721 IST) and was scheduled to
arrive here at 11.35 pm (local time) here yesterday.
        The passengers, on landing at the airport here this
evening, heaved a sigh of relief after they underwent a
harrowing time in air for nearly three to four hours.
        Speaking to reporters, Tejeswi Shetty said the experience
was scary not only for her but all her co-passengers. "Those
were scary moments. Everyone was anxious. Some others were
praying and few comforting each other," she said.
        "Actually soon after the take-off itself we heard a sound.
It was like a tyre burst type. Then it was like fully shaking.
Immediately after the take-off the pilot announced that the
plane is returning to Kuala Lampur due to techinal snag,"
Shetty said.
        "We were four hours in the air. The pilot made two
attempts to land the aircraft, but he did so on third
attempt," she said.
        She, however, had words of appreciation for the crew,
especially the pilot. "The crew was very good. Even the pilot
was often talking to us," she said.
        Another woman passenger said after being in the air for
four hours, the plane finally landed because they wanted to
finish off the fuel which was there in the flight. "Landing -
we were scared but was fine. We were all praying too," she
said.