As travel restrictions have finally loosened, many Malaysians are no doubt looking forward to exploring their favourite tourist hotspots once more. However, a group of travellers who had been heading towards the Sabah coastal town of Tawau found themselves confronted with a harrowing experience, after their Malaysian Airlines flight reportedly experienced ‘technical issues’ from inclement weather.
MAS flight towards Tawau ‘dives’ in mid-air
According to the New Straits Times, the incident had occurred last Sunday (3rd April 2022) on-board MAS flight MH2664 towards Sabah, departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. One of the travellers on-board, Ms Halimah Nasoha, explained that the aircraft had suddenly taken a ‘sharp dive’ just 30 minutes after taking off at 2.30pm. Based upon the playback of the flight obtained from FlightRadar24, the aircraft appears to have dipped from 25,000 feet to 23,375 feet.
In speaking with Wau Post, Halimah said that she was seated with her back against the window near one of the emergency exits at the time when the plane had experienced a drop in altitude at a little past 3.00pm, causing her to be bounced out and up from her seat. She said that she had reached out to grip for the armrest of her seat, and had even noticed that the food that was served to the passenger seated next to her had scattered completely.
During the drop, multiple passengers were also described to have ‘floated’ out of their seats as a result of anti-gravitational force. The ‘fasten seatbelts’ sign had not been lit at the time of the incident.
“The plane was unstable for about 10 minutes and took another dive, but it was not as bad as the first drop,” she added.
Other passengers could be heard screaming and crying on-board in terror. The flight was said to have circled over Melaka a few times, before making a U-turn and heading back for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. However, she notes that the touch down was not smooth either.
In her post, Halimah had praised the staff and pilot of the flight for keeping the lives of those on-board safe. However, she has refuted claims from netizens that she had dramatised the experience, as her recollections were accurate to what she remembered having witnessed first-hand on the flight. She is also calling upon other passengers on the same flight to speak out about the experience.
“I am very upset when people say it’s normal, it’s an air pocket, I’m making this thing up, it’s my own imagination, whatsoever. There are a lot of other passengers, and I am calling all other passengers to actually come up and share their stories.” she said.
MAS has since released a statement
Quoting a statement from Malaysian Airlines, China Press reports that the flight safely landed at 5.03pm. It was said that the pilot had decided to return to KLIA to ensure the safety of the passengers on-board.
“Flight MH2664 from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau on April 3 performed an air turn back, due to technical issues with the aircraft, compounded by bad weather en route.” they explained.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has also confirmed that they have received a ‘Mandatory Occurrence Report’ submitted from Malaysian Airlines. Quoting CAAM chief executive Captain Datuk Chester Voo Chee Soon, NST reports that the agency will be conducting a review of the Flight Data Monitoring System (FDMS) from the flight.
“Preliminary data has shown correct responses by the operating crew following the issue onboard.” he adds.
The agency assures that they will continue to monitor the situation and vows not to compromise on any issues raised that may potentially jeopardize passenger safety.
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Also read: Now Everymeow Can Fly: M’sian woman adorably brings 10 pet cats with her on KL-Sabah flight
