oriental flyer
4th Nov 2007, 08:54
An Airbus flight SA 333 from Johannesburg overshot the main runway at Cape Town International Airport on landing on Friday, causing delays at airports around the country.
No injuries were reported but the Airbus blocked the airport's only two runways, causing a knock-on effect of delays around the country and further afield.
Tony Greenwood, the general manager of Nashua, said the Airbus had landed and been taxiing down the runway when the pilot had tried to make a right turn.
"She misjudged it and drove straight off the end of the runway. The front wheel sank at least a metre into the sand. The engines were about a foot off the sand."
He joked that it was the first time he'd been flown by a woman pilot. "And she lands up running the plane off the tarmac."
Greenwood said passengers had watched the entire scenario unfold from a camera on the front of the plane.
"There was one very frightened young lady but the rest of us were having a giggle."
SAA spokesperson Robyn Chalmers said the 300 passengers on board suffered no injuries and disembarked safely.
She said the flight SA333, operated by an Airbus A340-600, from Johannesburg had landed safely at Cape Town airport at approximately 2.41pm.
"However, an attempt to turn the aircraft sharply to the right as directed by air traffic control authorities led to its front wheel slipping off the side of the cross runway. The aircraft's nose, or front wheel, was buried in the soft sand off the runway and technicians worked swiftly to dig it out and pulled the aircraft backwards."
Chalmers said aircraft had been taxiing at a very low speed on the runway after landing when the incident occurred.
The aircraft had been taken to the airline's technical hangars for damage assessment.
No injuries were reported but the Airbus blocked the airport's only two runways, causing a knock-on effect of delays around the country and further afield.
Tony Greenwood, the general manager of Nashua, said the Airbus had landed and been taxiing down the runway when the pilot had tried to make a right turn.
"She misjudged it and drove straight off the end of the runway. The front wheel sank at least a metre into the sand. The engines were about a foot off the sand."
He joked that it was the first time he'd been flown by a woman pilot. "And she lands up running the plane off the tarmac."
Greenwood said passengers had watched the entire scenario unfold from a camera on the front of the plane.
"There was one very frightened young lady but the rest of us were having a giggle."
SAA spokesperson Robyn Chalmers said the 300 passengers on board suffered no injuries and disembarked safely.
She said the flight SA333, operated by an Airbus A340-600, from Johannesburg had landed safely at Cape Town airport at approximately 2.41pm.
"However, an attempt to turn the aircraft sharply to the right as directed by air traffic control authorities led to its front wheel slipping off the side of the cross runway. The aircraft's nose, or front wheel, was buried in the soft sand off the runway and technicians worked swiftly to dig it out and pulled the aircraft backwards."
Chalmers said aircraft had been taxiing at a very low speed on the runway after landing when the incident occurred.
The aircraft had been taken to the airline's technical hangars for damage assessment.