Hisham: MH192 pilot handled troubled flight well

SEPANG: Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (pix) praised the pilot of a troubled Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight that made a safe emergency landing at the KL International Airport (KLIA) early today, saying he had discharged his duty in a professional manner.
"The passengers, despite being tired, expressed their admiration for the pilot's skillful handling of the aircraft in making the emergency landing safely without any harm to the passengers.
"They voiced this when I met them and they are most thankful to the pilot," he told reporters at the KLIA Flight Management Building here.
Also present at the press conference was the pilot, Capt Nor Adam Azmi Abdul Razak, and several of the other crew.
Flight MH192, which departed for Bengaluru, India, with 159 passengers and seven crew at 10.09pm yesterday, suffered a landing gear malfunction upon take-off and turned back to KLIA.
It landed safely at 1.56am today.
Hishammuddin had met the passengers at the KLIA satellite building soon after the emergency landing. He also instructed MAS to prepare a report on the incident for the ministry and the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
"Although MAS is under Khazanah Nasional, we want a comprehensive report by Wednesday.
"This is because there have been many incidents involving MAS, including the disappearance of Flight MH370. The report has to be handed to my ministry and the Cabinet," he said.
As the press conference ended, pilot Nor Adam Azmi and co-pilot Prakash Kumar declined to be interviewed by reporters and left with Hishammuddin into an office in the building.
Nor Adam Azmi was seen smiling as Hishammuddin placed a pilot's cap on his head as a gesture of appreciation. However, an emotional Nor Adam Azmi held the cap which shielded his teary eyes as he hurried away from the reporters.
Meanwhile, a passenger from Penang who declined to be named said the emergency landing was well coordinated.
"The pilot and crew members followed procedures correctly. It was well handled and I did not panic," he said, adding that he had not informed his family members yet of the incident.
Meanwhile, Australian Miranda Jason Juse, 30, said that due to the professional action of the pilot and crew members, all passengers felt calm during the four hours that the flight circled above the Strait of Melaka.
"The pilot was doing his best for a safe landing and the aircraft landed completely softly. It was calm once we landed safely," he said.
All the passengers were relatively lethargic after the 'ordeal' but they still had the strength to give reporters a smile, appreciative of the fact that they were safe.
The Flight MH192 episode drew a global reaction, especially from netizens, as an air turn back by a MAS flight had come not long after the disappearance of the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing MAS flight, MH370, on March 8.
That flight had also reportedly made an air turn back. – Bernama