5th November 2010, 12:07 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 787
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Lion Air 737 crash
Didn't see it posted already but a Lion Air 734 crashed a few days ago .. 
169 Passengers Left in the Lurch After Lion Jet Slides off Runway
Quote:
Jakarta. Panicked passengers aboard a Lion Air plane had to make their own escape when it skidded off the runway of Supadio Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Tuesday and into a muddy field.
The Boeing 737/400 flight from Jakarta was carrying 169 passengers and six crew. There were no reports of injuries.
Passenger Prio Suprantono said the plane shook violently before it came to a halt in the middle of the field at the end of the runway at 11:25 a.m.
“When the plane stopped, the passengers panicked. We were afraid that worse things would happen. Still, none of the flight attendants or the captain said anything,” he said.
The frightened passengers were not able to escape from the aircraft because none of the emergency doors were opened, he said, adding that they were finally able to escape when a passenger opened the door.
A passenger identified as Tomi said the plane shook three times about 15 minutes before landing but the passengers did not suspect anything was awry because the crew made no announcements.
“We thought it’s only because of the bad weather,” he said. “We began to worry when the plane touched down on the runway. I saw from the window that the plane was not stable.”
Lion Air spokesman Edward Sirait told the Jakarta Globe that there was no announcement before the turbulent landing because the “fasten seat belt” warning had already been activated.
He described the landing as “normal” but for some unknown reason the plane could not stop.
Edward said the plane had a good maintenance record.
The spokesman refused to comment on why the cabin crew had not given the passengers any direction after the landing.
“Emergency exits can be opened by passengers, not only by flight attendants,” Edward said. “That is why we do not allow children or physically unfit passengers to sit near the emergency exits.”
The National Transport Safety Commission, or KNKT, categorized the incident as serious. “We are still collecting data for our investigation. This is a serious incident,” said Masuri, the head of the KNKT’s Air Transport Accident Investigation Agency.
The aircraft’s wheels were stuck in the mud and the KNKT was sending a team to investigate the cause of the accident.
Flights to and from Supadio were delayed as the airport was closed for two hours and the pilot has been suspended.
‘We have temporarily suspended the pilot until we concluded the investigation,’ Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said.
The ministry has been gradually working on improving airline safety, tightening regulations and upgrading conditions and equipment at airports.
This follows a spate of accidents in the past few years that prompted wide criticism of the ministry and the domestic airline industry.
One of the worst accidents in recent years was the disappearance of an Adam Air plane in June 2007 with 102 passengers and crew on board.
Earlier that year, a Garuda plane that was carrying diplomats connected to a visit by Australia’s then foreign minister Alexander Downer crash-landed at the Yogyakarta airport, killing three people.
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/...-runway/404627
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