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Airbus flies dangerously low - panicked passenger: "We hit the ground"

2020-02-21T11:39:19.802Z


Shortly before Frankfurt Airport, an Airbus gets into a dangerous descent. Passengers panic. One raises charges against Thai Airways.


Shortly before Frankfurt Airport, an Airbus gets into a dangerous descent. Passengers panic. One raises charges against Thai Airways.

  • Airplane of the airline Thai Airways en route to Frankfurt Airport
  • Airbus flies far too low over Bischofsheim
  • Passengers panic

Update from Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 2:08 p.m .: It almost crashed: On New Year's Day (January 1 , 2020), a Thai Airways plane made a dangerous low-altitude flight on the way to Frankfurt Airport . The pilots can only prevent an accident by starting the Airbus. Now another passenger, who has been on board the machine, speaks up.

The 52-year-old, whose name is known to the editors, is frightened by the Airbus maneuver. He tracks the approach of TG926 on the tail cam - a camera that is attached to the outside of the rear of the aircraft. He had often watched such live videos landing. But this time everything is different: The plane is flying "at an unusually steep downward angle," he wrote in a message to the editorial team. The buildings and vehicles on the ground were approaching much too quickly.

Frankfurt Airport: Plane too deep - TG926 passenger panics

"I thought to myself: 'I don't know where he wants to end up. In any case, there is no runway here. ' The objects on the ground were really close now and I realized that we would hit the ground in a few seconds if this continued. ”The passenger panicked.

At that moment the plane takes off . The 52-year-old is becoming aware that the people on board and on the ground "escaped a catastrophe by a hair," he says. "My heart was racing, cold sweat broke out all over my body and it took me a few minutes to calm down again," he says afterwards.

Frankfurt Airport: Thai Airways plane is flying too low - excited discussion of the crew

The passengers around him don't notice the drama of the situation, he believes. His wife, who is sitting next to him, also thinks his fear is exaggerated. But the flight attendants in their seats make embarrassed faces. After the landing of TG926 at Frankfurt Airport , the crew of the Thai Airways flight discusses excitedly with the airport staff at the baggage carousel . "But I didn't dare go there and ask what was going on," says the man.

A technical defect seems impossible. At least the Airbus concerned with the identification HS-THF takes off the same evening, almost three hours after landing, from Frankfurt Airport towards Phuket. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) previously confiscated flight data recorders and voice recorders and started the investigation.

Ne Thai Airways A350 as flight TG926 canceled the landing approach to Frankfurt on 01.01.2020 because it had sunk far too low via Bischofsheim / Rüsselsheim for an unknown cause: https: //t.co/TbUPitWPdo pic.twitter.com/ FCBZhpo248

- Wifi Freak (@wifi_freak) January 14, 2020

Frankfurt Airport: Airplane far too deep - passenger raises allegations against Airline Thai Airways

First report from Friday, February 7th, 2020, 8:32 am: Frankfurt - "Like all other passengers, we were extremely scared during this situation." That says a 45-year-old man who, on New Year's Day (January 1st, 2020 ), together with his family with the Airline Thai Airways flew to Frankfurt Airport. He has reported to the editors and is making serious allegations against the airline.

Shortly before landing, directly above the community of Bischofsheim (Groß-Gerau district), his flight TG926 had flown far too low. 13 kilometers from the runway at Frankfurt Airport, Thai Airways' Airbus A350-900 was only less than 250 meters above the ground. The pilot of the plane was just able to prevent an accident - by starting the machine. The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) has started an investigation into a “serious disorder”.

The 45-year-old passenger from Baden-Württemberg, whose name is known to the editors, actually spent a nice holiday with his wife and five-year-old daughter over the Christmas holidays. The couple has been vacationing in Asia for 15 years. But after this return flight from Phuket to Frankfurt Airport , he lost his desire for vacation. He has postponed the next flight booking for the time being. "If you were a passenger on this flight, you don't feel an increased need to ever book another one."

Frankfurt Airport: "We were extremely scared" - passenger with allegations against airline

Because the go-around maneuver of the plane shortly before Frankfurt Airport frightened the passengers: "Many had fallen asleep, but everyone was awake again," says the 45-year-old. There was silence on board, everyone looked around anxiously. "You noticed that something is not okay. You start to worry. Everyone's scared. ”

However, as the passenger describes, the airline crew said nothing about the dangerous situation. “There was no comment or appeasement from the cabin crew or pilots, as is the case with every little turbulence. She was probably too serious. ”He calls this fact“ trust-destroying ”.

Frankfurt Airport: No comment by the airline Thai Airways on the allegations

The airline Thai Airways makes no statement on this allegation. "The final report is not yet available to Thai Airways," said a spokesman when asked. According to the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), an interim report is not expected until the end of March at the earliest.

When asked to what extent the low-level flight was worked up with the pilots responsible, the Thai Airways spokesman replied: "Basically everything will be worked up, we have data for every flight." About the near-accident on the way to Frankfurt Airport on New Year's Day but he had no information. After each long-haul flight, the pilots had to observe rest periods. "They are meticulously observed."

Frankfurt Airport: Medical emergency on board

On board flight TG926 to Frankfurt Airport, there was already unrest before the low-level flight. A doctor was sought because of a medical emergency. The German Air Traffic Control (DFS) in Langen has confirmed the emergency. As the passenger from Baden-Württemberg and another passenger who contacted the editorial team suspect, this emergency is probably not related to the dangerous low-altitude flight. But that's also part of the investigation.

Since the 45-year-old did not receive any information from the airline about the maneuver, he finally googled himself. He wants to find out in which cases an aircraft has to take off. "Also to explain it to my daughter."

Thai Airways Intl Airbus A350-900 (HS-THF), descended below the minimum altitude on approach runway 07R at Frankfurt-Intl (EDDF), Germany. The pilots of # TG926 initiated a go-around and safely landed 10 min later.https: //t.co/ezzLlGo9Mv pic.twitter.com/WKQAR07U2V

- JACDEC (@JacdecNew) January 13, 2020

Incidents on flights are not always so dangerous: on the way to Prague there was a recent crash on a Lufthansa aircraft. The Airbus had to return to Frankfurt Airport.

At Frankfurt Airport the night flight ban applies after 11 p.m. In 2018, however, the airline Laudamotion violated it at regular intervals - and now has to pay a hefty fine.

Customs at Frankfurt Airport make a sensation of cocaine *. The drugs were discovered by two dogs. Cocaine is worth millions.

Frankfurt Airport was closed, air traffic control prohibited all take-offs and landings. The reason was an intervention by the federal police.

A pony at airport security? It happens in the United States. And there is a serious reason for the unusual passenger.

* fnp.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

By Kerstin Kesselgruber

Rubric list image: © Airbus

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-02-21

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