Recently on September 28th, 2018 an Air Niugini Boeing 737-800 on its route from Pohnpei to Chuuk, which are the two islands in Micronesia suddenly lost its height before making a landing on the airport runway 4 of the Chuuk Airport. The Flight PX56 luckily crashed a quarter mile short from the airport into a lagoon. After the incident, many local people and US Navy UCT 2 immediately arrived on the scene for rescue on their boats. While the 12 crew members and 35 passengers have been all saved from this disaster, some passengers have suffered injuries.
Air Niugini confirmed to media that there were 35 passengers and 12 crew members aboard the flight. They also confirmed the fact that prior to this incident they also received reports from the pilot that “the weather was very bad due to heavy rain that was causing low visibility during the time of the incident”.
US Navy Sailors assigned for UCT 2 provided their immediate help on the scene to both passengers and crew in the lagoon near Chuuk; the Federated States of Micronesia.
Bill Jaynes; Managing editor of a Micronesia newspaper who was aboard this flight said to media that, “this was just surreal. I believed that we have landed hard before I saw water coming inside the plane. I was thinking that it is not the way that it’s supposed to happen. We came crashing very low and the flight attendants were yelling in panicked states. I did my best to help others”.
He further said that, “I only suffered a head injury while some other passengers suffered severe injuries. Luckily no deaths occurred. I only had one scenario in mind that after landing we have hit the end of the runway. We were lucky to get out of the plane as water level only rose to thighs. We evacuated through emergency doors and local fishermen came into their boats to rescue us. I am greatly impressed by their response.”
Watch the videos of this incident from different cameras on the scene which have appeared all over the social media.
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