A Talofa Airways flight from Faleolo Airport made a crash landing at Pago Pago International Airport yesterday afternoon.
One of the 8 passengers on board, Mrs. Matau’a Aasa Matai told KHJ News that their flight landed at Tafuna around 1:27 pm. She said the rear wheels opened on landing, but they suddenly heard a loud noise before the plane started sliding on its nose on the runway.
“We found out later that the front wheel broke after the landing,” she said. According to Mrs. Aasa-Matai, the plane slid on the runway for what seemed like a long time before it came to a stop. The pilot, a Tongan national then told them to get out of the aircraft.
She said they waited on the runway for about 20 minutes before the fire crash unit arrived, and they were transported to the terminal.
Mrs. Aasa-Matai credited the pilot for preventing what could have been a disaster. She said the plane was skidding, and the pilot skillfully and calmly brought the plane to a stop.
She and her husband were returning from the Methodist Church general conference in Apia, and a couple and their three kids, and a female traveler were also on the flight.
No one was hurt.
“We’re thankful to be alive,” she said. “We learned from the pilot it was fortunate the sparks created from the plane skidding on the runway did not ignite into flames.”
Photos: Matau’a Aasa-Matai
