Passenger Stig Waagbø, 53, said people were told to leave their belongings on board the aircraft before they evacuated the plane, that sat just yards from the sea
This is the dramatic moment passengers were evacuated from a plane after it overshot the runway and ended up just yards from the sea.
Norwegian flight DY 430 from Oslo ended its journey to Molde Airport on the Scandinavian country’s west coast in heart-thumping fashion on Thursday evening as the Boeing 737s aircraft skidded off the runway, only managing to come to a halt just yards from the sea.
Photos shared with The Mirror from telecommunications worker Stig Waagbø, 53, showed passengers exiting from the front of the plane via an evacuation slide. The same photos showed the nose of the plane hovering perilously close to the sea.
Mr Waagbø, who was sat in seat 5F, told Norwegian network VG: “There was a little snow and stuff while we were landing but it looked like the visibility was good. When we were going down for landing I noticed that we landed a little far into the runway.
“Then a braking process started, the engine blows a little before the plane slid a little sideways.” Despite the dramatic landing none of the 171 people on board were said to have been injured in the incident.
Mr Waagbø continued: “There was no panic. There was a bit of tension when we were told to evacuate, leave our luggage and get off the plane as quickly as possible.” Simon Kristiansen, who was sitting near the front of the plane, told the network that some people were shocked while others cried.
The Mirror has contacted Molde Airport for comment.
Avinor, a state-owned company that operates many of the airports in Norway, said the runway at Molde Airport was temporarily closed following the incident. A company spokesperson told the outlet at 10:10pm that it was unclear when exactly the runway would reopen.
The spokesperson added: “We understand this may be frustrating for passengers who are leaving tomorrow (Friday), and we ask them to follow the updated information they receive from the airlines.”
Molde Airport operates routes within Norway and seasonal travel to the Mediterranean. The majority of passengers travel to the capital Oslo via its air shuttle service that uses Boeing 737s.
The airport includes a runway that measures about 7,283 by 148ft. At the end of the runway are stunning views of the Norwegian coastline and sea.
There have been previous instances of planes where they have unfortunately ended up in the sea after overshooting runways. In September 2018, a plane carrying dozens of people sank into the sea after the aircraft came to the end of the runway Thankfully, local media said at the time that everyone onboard the plane that crashed in the Pacific nation of Micronesia was rescued.
