737 Lands in Lagoon After Missing Island Runway
An Air Niugini 737-800 landed in a lagoon off the coast of the Micronesian Chuuk Island after landing short of the island airport's runway due to poor visibility and inclement weather. There were 36 passengers and 11 crew aboard Flight 73, but no fatalities as rescuers in more than 20 boats, including nearby U.S. Navy sailors, managed to rescue the victims as the plane's cabin filled with water.
"I thought we landed hard until I looked over and saw a hole in the side of the plane and water was coming in. I thought, well, this is not like the way it's supposed to happen," passenger Bill Jaynes told reporters.
Air Niugini Flight 73 was scheduled to take off at 9:55 a.m. from the airport on Weno island in Chuuk state, in the Federated States of Micronesia. It , was bound for Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, news report from the Guam Daily Post pic.twitter.com/YVwnhQFIqS
- makereta komai (@burebasgal) September 28, 2018
The U.S. Navy sailors who participated in the rescue were part of Underwater Construction Team 2, operating in the area to help repair anchor damage to local coral reefs.
According to passengers, the water in the cabin was up to about waist height by the time rescuers arrived. While there were no fatalities, the Australian Broadcasting Company reports that 9 people were taken to the hospital.
Source: BBC, Navy Times
('You Might Also Like',)
