Midair fright on Spicejet flight SG 228

Passengers of flight SG 228 spent anxious moments as there were two announcements by the crew,when the plane arrived in Pune,informing them of difficulty in landing. Incidentally,the Spicejet flight had also arrived an hour later than scheduled time of 10.45 pm in Pune.

“The flight was already delayed at Bangalore airport by 40 minutes. As it was to land at the Pune airport,there was an announcement that there was some trouble and that the landing would have to be cleared by the ground staff. After the aircraft remained hovering in the air for some 10 minutes there was another announcement that the nosewheel was not functioning. It was only after another half-an- hour that the aircraft managed to land,” said Binu A Verghese,a passenger on the aircraft who admitted he and other passengers,did get fairly unnerved at the turn of events.

A Spicejet spokesperson,however,said there was no emergency landing. “ The captain,while opening the nosewheel for landing had heard a noise. The ATC was immediately contacted for clearance and was asked for permission to fly low. After necessary precautions and arrangements for emergency landing,there was safe landing.”

Airport director said that staff was put on alert and the ambulance was kept available to meet any eventuality after they received the information of a “minor technical problem with the aircraft.”

After landing safe,the passengers had to face another delay in delivery of luggage as they were informed that the “luggage track trolley of the aircraft was non-functional.” “We didn’t get the luggage on time and there was a delay of some 25 minutes at the luggage counter as well,” said Verghese.