Air Tanzania plane makes emergency landing amid engine problem
A Tanzanian plane with 122 passengers aboard on Saturday was forced to make an emergency landingafter experiencing an engine failure midair.
Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL confirmed that its plane which was scheduled to fly toMbeyaexperienced an engine problem mid-airand had to detour back to the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA in Dar es Salaam for an emergency landing.
Responding to inquiries made by Mwananchi reporters on Wednesday,ATCLPublic Relations OfficerSarah Reuben said the Airbus A220 with registration number 5H-TCH, en route from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, encountered an engine malfunction mid-flight but thepilots managed foil it.
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“The pilots safely guided the plane back to Julius Nyerere International Airport,” Ms Reuben said, without disclosingfurther details regarding the incident. And it was not immediately clear whether the affected aircraft was back in operation.
Passengers’ account
Passengers, who were aboard the plane recountingtheordeal, said some of them lostconsciousness as smoke filled the cabinmaking it difficult to breathe.
“There were cries of distress. As the smoke increased, people began coughing. Others seemed too overwhelmed and lost consciousness,” a passenger who requested anonymity said.
“We saw the planecrew scramblingwith fire extinguishers, minutes before an emergency landing was announced,” the passenger added.
However, Ms Reuben stated that the smoke incident inside the cabin lasted less than five minutes before the situation was brought under control. She added that the crew diligently provided passengers with precise information during the turbulent flight.
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“The entire incident, from takeoff to returning to JNIA, took about 60 minutes. Even after returning to Dar es Salaam, no passenger showed any signs of health complications or needed medical assistance,” she stated.
Out of the 122 passengers, 104 boarded another flight to Mbeya afterwardswhile 18 requested to change their travel dates.