How Air Tanzania flight with 122 passengers on board faced engine trouble mid-air
What you need to know:
- "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," ATCL's Public Relations Officer,
Dar es Salaam. On Saturday, February 24, 122 passengers aboard an Air Tanzania Airbus A220 endured a harrowing experience during a journey that lasted only 60 minutes before the flight was aborted.
Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has confirmed that one of its flights to Mbeya, carrying 122 passengers, experienced an engine problem mid-air on that day and 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, February 28, ATCL's Public Relations Officer, Sarah Reuben, stated that the Airbus A220 with registration number 5H-TCH, en route from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, encountered an engine malfunction mid-flight. The pilots managed the situation by following prescribed protocols and subsequently shutting down the faulty engine.
"The pilot safely guided the plane back to Julius Nyerere International Airport," she noted. Reuben did not disclose further details regarding the incident, and it was not immediately clear whether the affected aircraft was back in operation.
Passengers' account
According to a recount by some of the passengers, which The Citizen cannot independently verify, in the terrifying ordeal mid-air, it is claimed that there were screams and some individuals briefly losing consciousness. Smoke filled the cabin, making it difficult to breathe.
However, Ms Reuben stated that the smoke incident inside the cabin lasted less than five minutes before the situation was brought under control. During the turbulent flight, the crew diligently provided passengers with precise information.
"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 aboard the turbulent flight, 104 boarded another flight to Mbeya afterwards, while 18 requested to change their travel dates.
