The Hindu Business Line : An emergency well handled

When we, a team of four journalists from India, were checking in at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, a tile fell off a pillar. We ignored it even as it hit a South-East Asian tourist. Then, as we stood for security clearance for our flight to Singapore and then to Perth, another tile fell from the roof, sending shivers down the security men’s spine. For us, that too didn’t matter.

Our flight to Singapore in Jet Airways was a pleasant one and had no inkling of the danger that was lurking at the Changi Airport. Thanks to the traffic congestion at New Delhi, we took off 30 minutes late and landed here that much late.

Our Qantas flight to Perth was to take off at 7.25 p.m. local time. As the aircraft began taxiing at 7.15 p.m. and the crew head was making announcements about our trip, we had no inkling of what was to happen moments later.

All of a sudden we heard a thud. We thought the aircraft had hit something. But from my seat, I could see a ball of fire. A couple of passengers who saw it began shouting ‘fire’ and took to their heels. With people around me running, I had no option but to take to my heels. An airhostess, who was pregnant, had to make way to ensure there was no collision or stampede.

Some of the passengers rushed to the exit nearby, the airhostess there stood like a rock and said, “No, don’t open. You can’t.” As some of us began rushing to the front exit, various thoughts ran across one’s mind. What about my passport in the hand bag? What about my baggage? What about the money I had in the bag?

“To hell, let’s get out first,” I thought.

But we were stopped and the firm and strict voices of the crew held us back. “Don’t run to exits. Please go back to your seats. Nothing to worry,” they shouted.

As we stopped and looked back, we found the fire had been extinguished by the internal extinguishers in the engine. Captain Steve McMann later said the fire was due to some staff leaving a bit of fuel in the engine. We were 245 passengers with nearly 10 Indians.

Later, Mr Mathew, one of the crew, said he had faced similar emergencies when he had worked with Ansett. “We are trained to meet these emergencies. It’s at least six months training. We shouldn’t panic and that helps us to handle the passengers,” he said.

A few passengers, though, were unhappy that they were kept in the flight for nearly an hour. When one said it was due to procedures, an Australian shot back, “Fire knows no emergency!”

My journalist colleague Subhash Narayan, part of a team being flown to Australia by the Mining Industry and the Government there, remarked: “Maybe, in our country, the crew would have been pushed aside and even trampled upon”.