Pilot British Airways Selamatkan 157 Penumpang setelah Pesawat Terbakar
Hero British Airways Pilot Saves 157 Passengers to Make Miraculous Escape with Just Two Injuries
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
PILOT BRITISH Airways menjadi pahlawan setelah berhasil mengendalikan pesawat berbobot 350 ton dari kecepatan 144 km per jam hingga berhenti hanya dalam tempo sembilan detik - sehingga dapat menyelamatkan seluruh penumpang di pesawat.
Pilot menyiapkan pesawat untuk lepas landas ketika terbakar di bandara Las Vegas, Nevada, AS pada Selasa malam.
Pesawat dijadwalkan menuju bandara Gatwick di London, dan pesawat tengah melaju 144 km per jam ketika mesin kiri terbakar setelah terjadi masalah pada mesin.
Penumpang menceritakan terjadinya ledakan, dan suhu panas meningkat cepat dekat jendela pesawat.
Meskipun telah melakukan panggilan pertolongan (mayday) ke menara kontrol, pilot berusaha tetap tenang mengendalikan pesawat, memanggil 'pemadam kebakaran' dan kemudian mengingatkan penumpang untuk segera 'melakukan evakuasi'.
Para penumpang dan awak keluar dari pesawat, yang masih berada di tengah landasan pacu,
Empat belas orang penumpang kemudian dibawa ke rumah sakit untuk perawatan medis - sebagian mengaku terpapar asap sementara yang lain terluka saat mereka dievakuasi.
Menceritakan pengalamannya di Guardian setelah keluar dari pesawat, penumpang Yakub Steinberg mengungkapkan kegembiraan penumpang pada kesigapan pilot yang disambut tepuk tangan ketika pilot keluar dari pesawat, seperti dilansir MailOnline.
Kalau pilot panik, kolumnis sepakbola dan tenis ini menilai, kami tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya.
"Dia mengatakan dia telah terbang selama bertahun-tahun dan belum pernah melihat sesuatu seperti itu," tulis Steinberg.
"Dia berbicara kepada beberapa penumpang kemudian dan wajah seluruh penumpang tampak pucat."
"Tidak ada kata-kata yang cukup di dunia bagi kami untuk mengungkapkan rasa terima kasih kami."
Menulis di Twitter sebelumnya, ia mengungkapkan: 'Apakah tertidur saat pesawat lepas landas. Kemudian terjadi benturan. Bau asap. Awalnya kami diminta untuk tetap duduk, kemudian teriakan mengungsi.'
'Tercium dan terlihat asap di sisi lain dari pesawat. Seseorang mengatakan panas api membuat beberapa jendela meleleh.'
A HERO BRITISH Airways pilot averted disaster by bringing a 350-tonne plane accelerating down the runway at 90mph to a standstill in just nine seconds - saving the lives of everyone on board.
The pilot was readying the plane for take off when it burst into flames at a Las Vegas airport on Tuesday evening.
It had been bound for London Gatwick, and was travelling at 90 miles per hour when the left engine caught fire after a catastrophic failure.
Passengers described a loud bang, and the increasing heat from the fire near the windows.
But in a mayday call to the control tower, the pilot remained calm and collected, asking for 'fire services' and then informing them 'we are evacuating'.
The passengers and crew exited the plane, which was still in the middle of the runway,
Fourteen people were then taken to hospital for treatment - many suffering from suspected smoke inhalation while others were hurt when they evacuated.
Writing in the Guardian after escaping the plane, passenger Jacob Steinberg revealed there was applause when the pilot emerged.
Without him, the football and tennis writer suggested, it wasn't worth thinking about what would have happened next.
'He said he had been flying for years and had never seen anything like that,' Steinberg wrote.
'He was speaking to a few passengers later and all the colour had drained from his face.
'There were not enough words in the world for us to express our gratitude.'
Writing on Twitter earlier, he had revealed: 'Was asleep as the plane took off. Came to a crashing halt. Smell of smoke. Initially told to stay seated, then shout of evacuate.
‘Could smell and see smoke but was on other side of plane. One person said fire melted a couple of windows.
