Etihad passenger Ohad Shemtov said the aborted Etihad flight was “the most terrifying moment in my life” and that he and others on board were certain they were about to die
Passengers have recalled the terrifying moment their Etihad Airways flight was aborted during a high-speed take off with just seconds to spare.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Etihad flight from Melbourne, Australia, to Abu Dhabi came to an urgent stop due to the pilot’s quick actions on Sunday. The sudden stop shredded two of the tires and resulted in one of the runways being taken out of use for more than 12 hours.
Etihad flight EY461 had been due to leave Melbourne at about 7pm local time that night. It is understood that there were 289 passengers on board at the time.
Passenger Ohad Shemtov told nine.com.au that it was “the most terrifying moment in my life.” He added: “We were sure we were about to die.”
Australian outlets reported the pilot saw a warning light and then aborted take off with just seconds to spare. The pressure resulted in two of the tyres bursting that led the plane to stop in the middle of the runway.
An Air traffic Control recording said: “It seems we have some problem with the gear.” The flat tyres meant that the plane could not be towed away, resulting in the runway being closed to other flights for around 12 hours.
But passengers voiced their frustration at the situation, such as not being allowed off the plane for several hours. Passenger Alan told nine.com.au said: “Why for an emergency stop does it take you 2.5 hours to get off a plane? When they knew the tyres were knackered.”
People on board the plane were told at about 9:30am to collect their bags and to check them into new flights. But they complained it took nearly two hours longer for the bags to start coming through.
One passenger, who went only by John, told the outlet: “The service from Etihad is disgusting. You can’t get them on the phone, they’re not listening to how you’re getting home.”
Etihad told the outlet that the flight crew needed to delay the flight for “technical reasons.” A spokesperson said in a statement: “The aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution,” the airline said.
“Guests have been disembarked safely and our teams are working to enable them to continue their onward journeys as quickly as possible. Etihad Airways sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused. The safety and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority. Etihad said applying foam to the tyres was “a routine precaution following a high-speed rejected take-off”.
