[ 2014-10-29 ]

Two sustain injuries in Starbow emergency landing
A Takoradi bound Starbow flight was forced to make
an emergency landing, Tuesday.

Two passengers sustained injuries to the ankle and
the arm during an evacuation process.

One of the passengers told Joy News that 20
minutes into the Takoradi bound flight, the pilot
told them the aircraft had developed a fault and
so they had to return to the Kotoko International
Airport (KIA).

According to him, on their return to Accra they
were told the passengers had to be evacuated. It
was through the process of evacuation that the two
people sustained the injuries.

"We got back to Accra in about 15 minutes. The
landing wasn't that perfect and the plane was
wobbly a bit and the sound of the engine wasn't
good.

"We were told to be calm and that there was fire
service personnel and other emergency personnel
all around [to keep us safe]. So they told us to
evacuate.

During the evacuation process the injuries
occured, he narrated.

He said the injured persons were whisked into an
ambulance and taken to the hospital.

"It has been very traumatic, a bit chaotic and I
don't wish it on anybody," he added.

Starbow's Chief Executive Officer James E. Antwi
has confirmed the accident in an interview with
Joy News.

He attributed the accident to a "hydraulic
fault".

He said the hydraulic fault could not have been
detected before the flight took off.

"In this situation, it is like an accident.
Something happens. It can be a pipe that is
fractured, a leakage to a tank. It happens.

"We do normal check-ups before we take off but
things happen," he said.

Mr Antwi added that they are making provisions to
fly the passengers tomorrow but those who wish to
go by road tonight would have their monies
refunded to them.

This is the second time in about two months, the
airline has made an emergency landing but the CEO
said it was only coincidental and that they adhere
to safety standards as much as possible.

Source - Joy News

... go Back