MAS flight turns back due to 'safety issues'
Published: Aug 23, 2014 2:34 PM | Updated: Aug 24, 2014 10:21 AM
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH70, en route to Tokyo, made a turn back to Kuala Lumpur following alleged “safety issues” found mid-flight.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH70, en route to Tokyo, made a turn back to Kuala Lumpur following alleged “safety issues” found mid-flight.
This was announced by the pilot about 50 minute into the fight, a passenger onboard the plane told Malaysiakini.
The plane had departed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for Narita airport at 10.50am.
After touching down, passengers were then informed that they will be leaving for Tokyo at 1.15pm on a different plane.
“The radar screen (flight route display on the passenger’s seat-back screen) showed that the plane was curving to the left long before the announcement.
“I was initially confused, but it made more sense when they made the announcement,” passenger Victor Tan said.
MAS’ website states that Flight MH70 has been “retimed” and is due to arrive in Tokyo at 9.25pm.
Flight tracker website Flightradar24 shows that MH70 had merely circled around its departure area before turning back.
Malaysiakini has contacted the airline and is awaiting its response. The airline could not be reached via its general customer service line.
‘No excuse’
Meanwhile, Tan said that it was “unacceptable” that MAS did not perform its “due diligence” prior to departure.
“I understand that we have to support our national airline in the wake of MH370 and MH17. Both were terrible tragedies, but that doesn't give MAS an excuse to slack off and play their part.
“It is incidents like these that destroy our perception of the airline,” he said
Last April, panic sparked aboard a Bangalore-bound MAS flight when it made an emergency turn back a month after the disappearance of Flight MH370.
Aviation experts, however, say that turn backs due to safety issues are not as uncommon as publicly-perceived.
MH370 disappeared en route Beijing in March while MH17 was downed while flying above east Ukraine separatist-held area in July.
The search for MH370 is ongoing, while the remains of Malaysian victims of MH17 arrived in Malaysia yesterday on what was declared as the National Day of Mourning.
This was announced by the pilot about 50 minute into the fight, a passenger onboard the plane told Malaysiakini.
The plane had departed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for Narita airport at 10.50am.
After touching down, passengers were then informed that they will be leaving for Tokyo at 1.15pm on a different plane.
“The radar screen (flight route display on the passenger’s seat-back screen) showed that the plane was curving to the left long before the announcement.“I was initially confused, but it made more sense when they made the announcement,” passenger Victor Tan said.
MAS’ website states that Flight MH70 has been “retimed” and is due to arrive in Tokyo at 9.25pm.
Flight tracker website Flightradar24 shows that MH70 had merely circled around its departure area before turning back.
Malaysiakini has contacted the airline and is awaiting its response. The airline could not be reached via its general customer service line.
‘No excuse’
Meanwhile, Tan said that it was “unacceptable” that MAS did not perform its “due diligence” prior to departure.
“I understand that we have to support our national airline in the wake of MH370 and MH17. Both were terrible tragedies, but that doesn't give MAS an excuse to slack off and play their part.
“It is incidents like these that destroy our perception of the airline,” he said
Last April, panic sparked aboard a Bangalore-bound MAS flight when it made an emergency turn back a month after the disappearance of Flight MH370.Aviation experts, however, say that turn backs due to safety issues are not as uncommon as publicly-perceived.
MH370 disappeared en route Beijing in March while MH17 was downed while flying above east Ukraine separatist-held area in July.
The search for MH370 is ongoing, while the remains of Malaysian victims of MH17 arrived in Malaysia yesterday on what was declared as the National Day of Mourning.
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