Malaysia Airlines Plane Drops 7,000 Feet On 2 Apr
Southeast Asia is no stranger to erratic weather, with many of the region’s countries experiencing bouts of rain and glaring sunshine in a day. Fortunately, planes can still take to the sky regularly without a hitch.
However, the weather on 2 Apr was too much for a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight, causing it to suddenly drop 2,133 metres (7,000 feet) in the air.
As a precautionary measure, the pilot turned the Sabah-bound flight back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Passengers allegedly ‘float’ when MAS plane drops suddenly
According to TODAY, the MAS aeroplane took a sharp dive about 30 minutes after take-off.
The flight was reportedly cruising smoothly at 31,000 feet before it dropped to 24,000 feet in a matter of seconds.
Due to the abrupt change in altitude, many people “floated” out of their seats, as one passenger described. Some had their seatbelts unfastened as the seatbelt sign was reportedly not turned on then.
The plane continued to be unstable for another 10 minutes before taking another, softer dive.
After the difficult period, the plane made a U-turn and circled above Melaka a few times before heading back to KLIA.
MAS plane turns back to KLIA as precaution
Citing a MAS statement, TODAY reported that the pilot made the move to return to KLIA in order to put the safety of his passengers first.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) also confirmed in a press release that the decision to turn back was a precautionary measure as the plane had encountered technical issues during the flight.
Thankfully, the plane landed safely back at KLIA, more than two hours after it first took off.
Following the incident, CAAM will be working with Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) to review their internal Flight Data Monitoring System.
Glad there were no injuries
While the passengers were understandably terrified during the ordeal, it’s fortunate that there were no injuries reported.
It’s frightening to think of what could have happened if someone had been walking around or using the washroom during the sudden dive.
Hopefully, this news doesn’t put off our readers from booking their next getaway.
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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons.
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