Passengers express how lucky they are after scary flight
By LESLEY SANGA
IT’s a scary experience!
But more than 20 passengers on board a Solomon Airlines flight to Lata, Temotu, on Tuesday were relieved to return safely back to Honiara after the Dash-8 aircraft failed to land due to some mechanical issue.
“The plane attempted to land three times, but could not make it,” one relieved passenger, told the Solomon Star on their arrival back at Henderson domestic terminal.
“We were told the tyres could not work while attempting to land in Lata,” he added.
“So the pilots decided to fly the plane back after the third attempt.
“Interesting thing was the tyres worked when we approached Henderson Airport so we were able to land safely.
“It could have been a different story if the tyres didn’t work on our return landing.”
The two pilots were unavailable for comment.
A spokesman for Solomon Airlines said they will investigate the matter before issuing a statement.
News of the plane being unable to land in Lata reached Honiara before the plane arrived back in the capital.
For about two hours, social media users kept guessing, with many expressing fears about the safety of the plane and passengers.
The aircraft landed around 2.30pm at Henderson Airport.
One female passenger said:
“It was a relief to land safely after the failed landing attempts in Lata.”
