Port Director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele and several airport management personnel were summoned to a Senate hearing yesterday to explain the handling of an incident involving Talofa Airways flight last week.
One of Talofa Airways Commander aircraft developed hydraulic problems after landing at Pago Pago International Airport last Thursday morning and the plane was unable to taxi to the terminal area.
It was reported that the captain and 8 passengers had to wait for more than 10 minutes to get assistance from the airport.
Although there were no injuries, the passengers, which included Senator Magalei Logovii were shaken.
Port Director Taimalelagi told the hearing that a preliminary report of the incident indicated pilot error.
She said she and her staff have made adjustments to existing protocols to better respond to such emergencies.
Several senators were vocal about what seemed to be a total lack of response from the airport to the Talofa Airways incident.
It was noted that the Airport Fire and Rescue unit did not respond at all.
One senator recalled how the Honolulu Airport had firetrucks and response teams on alert when an aircraft he was on, had to return to land due to a mechanical failure,
He asked the director why such measures are not in place at Tafuna.
Senator Magalei Logovii recounted that it took twenty minutes for the airport to answer a cell phone call for help that day.
There were no emergency responders or airport vehicles standing by for the Talofa Air incident.
The crew and passengers stayed in the plane after it landed for ten minutes and no airport personnel approached the aircraft to check if anything was wrong.
Magalei if there had been a fire, it would have been fatal.
The senators agreed that this incident was a serious wake-up call for the airport to step up and improve response services to aircraft incidents.
They instructed the director to immediately take necessary measures, change procedures and/or personnel and do whatever else it takes to be emergency-ready.
