By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-01-02 20:55:06 | Updated at 2025-01-05 03:35:32
2 days ago
Talk about a flight risk.
A planeload of panicky passengers were sent back to the terminal after their aircraft failed to take off — not once, but twice — in Thailand.
Pilots manning the Nok Air Boeing 737-800 scheduled to depart Bangkok on Dec. 30 reportedly left their precious cargo uneasy in the wake of the deadly Jeju Air flight on identical aircraft from The Land of Smiles to South Korea — which had killed 179 people a day earlier.
Narongsak Toyabut, a passenger who captured footage inside flight DD176, documented the plane’s struggle to fly from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport.
During the initial takeoff, the amateur videographer noticed the plane engines stalled, which drew some concern, but when it happened again during the second attempt, he knew something wasn’t right.
“Second attempt began with a proper takeoff, but the engine sounded unusually loud. The plane gained speed, but I noticed that it had already passed the usual takeoff point near the first Air Force hangar,” Toyabut said.
“By the time it reached the second hangar, it still hadn’t lifted off. Then, the plane suddenly slowed down and turned around. The captain announced an engine malfunction and returned to the airport apron for an inspection,” Toyabut added.
Thankfully, his flight to Nan Nakhon Airport in Nan, Thailand, was put on hold due to technical difficulties.
“For those who weren’t there, it’s hard to explain how terrifying the situation was. I’m thankful the captain didn’t insist on flying when the plane wasn’t ready. I can’t imagine what could have happened if we had to stop mid-flight,” he shared.
Nok Airlines released a statement about the situation that reportedly left many passengers upset.
“Nok Air prioritizes safety, so the plane had to be thoroughly inspected before being returned to service. A replacement plane was brought in to operate the flight, causing flight DD176 to be delayed to 7:20 pm. Nok Air apologizes to all passengers for the impact of this incident,” the statement read.
Although this flight malfunction has been addressed, investigators are still trying to understand why Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital of Bangkok for Muan in southwestern South Korea, exploded into flames after hitting an embankment.
As previously reported by The Post, investigators plan to seize documents and materials related to the operation and maintenance of aircraft and airport facilities.
They hope to find out why the aircraft did not deploy its landing gear and what led the pilot to rush into a second attempt at landing after telling air traffic control the plane had suffered a bird strike and declaring an emergency.
