For the second time in a little over a week, Lion Air is holding headlines for an incident involving one of their passenger jets. This time, there were no casualties, but an investigation is still underway.
A Boeing 737-900 plane belonging to the low-cost flight operator from Indonesia has been grounded at the Fatmawati airport in Bengkulu, Indonesia, after hitting an electricity pole before takeoff. The plane was on the runway when it happened, and one of its wings clipped the pole.
The plane and the pilots were grounded, while passengers were escorted off the aircraft and moved to another plane, which took off to a considerable delay compared to the original flight schedule. In a statement cited by the Daily Mail, Lion Air stresses that the pilot responsible for the crash wasn’t one of their own.
“The aircraft was controlled by a pilot with guidance and instructions as well as signs given by Aircraft Movement Control (AMC) officers. The AMC officer is a person from the airport management and is being examined by the relevant party,” the statement says.
It adds that the passengers (143 people) and the flight crew (7 people) left for Soekarno–Hatta International Airport on a different plane.
Pramintohadi Sukarno of the Ministry of Transportation confirms the incident, mentioning that it translated into a 4-hour delay for the passengers. Lion Air is expected to offer compensation for it.
“The aircraft nudged the pole while traveling to the runway,” Sukarno says. “We have instructed Kabandara to ensure that airlines fulfill their obligations in accordance with the provisions by providing compensation for late flights to passengers.”
More than a week ago, a Lion Air plane crashed into the sea 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta. The pilot had requested to return to the airport, before connection was lost. It is believed the plane plunged at over 600mph, but the cause of the accident is still under investigation. All 189 people on board died.
The plane and the pilots were grounded, while passengers were escorted off the aircraft and moved to another plane, which took off to a considerable delay compared to the original flight schedule. In a statement cited by the Daily Mail, Lion Air stresses that the pilot responsible for the crash wasn’t one of their own.
“The aircraft was controlled by a pilot with guidance and instructions as well as signs given by Aircraft Movement Control (AMC) officers. The AMC officer is a person from the airport management and is being examined by the relevant party,” the statement says.
It adds that the passengers (143 people) and the flight crew (7 people) left for Soekarno–Hatta International Airport on a different plane.
Pramintohadi Sukarno of the Ministry of Transportation confirms the incident, mentioning that it translated into a 4-hour delay for the passengers. Lion Air is expected to offer compensation for it.
“The aircraft nudged the pole while traveling to the runway,” Sukarno says. “We have instructed Kabandara to ensure that airlines fulfill their obligations in accordance with the provisions by providing compensation for late flights to passengers.”
More than a week ago, a Lion Air plane crashed into the sea 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta. The pilot had requested to return to the airport, before connection was lost. It is believed the plane plunged at over 600mph, but the cause of the accident is still under investigation. All 189 people on board died.