A Macau-bound Capital Airlines jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Shenzhen yesterday, Xinhua reported.
According to Xinhua and other media reports, two wheels were missing after the emergency landing. Shenzhen lies some 60 kilometres north-east of Macau.
Shenzhen airport reportedly closed one of its two runways for about three hours to handle the emergency landing.
The plane, which had taken off from Beijing with 157 passengers and nine crew on board, landed shortly before noon in Shenzhen after aborting a scheduled landing at the airport in Macau.
According to media reports, it was the second emergency landing for Capital Airlines, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, after mechanical issues forced another flight by the company to return to Yunnan’s capital of Kunming some 50 minutes after taking off on Sunday.
The airline told the media that the front landing gear of the A320 in yesterday’s troubled flight was damaged as it had tried to land in Macau during adverse weather conditions, after which the pilot decided to land in Shenzhen instead.
Xinhua said that after the pilot had reported a failure with the plane’s left engine and communication system, the Macau airport management immediately declared a potential emergency situation and activated the airport emergency operations centre, while the airport’s fire services went on stand-by.
Capital Airlines said it believed that the flight was probably hit by wind shear during the attempted touch-down in Macau.
Shenzhen Baoan International Airport said in a statement that five people aboard the flight sustained minor injuries.
Passengers evacuated the jet through emergency slides, according to state TV footage.
The Macau Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) said it was investigating the incident in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CCAC).
Meanwhile, the private Macau University of Science and Technology said in a statement last night that it was “very concerned” about the incident as several of its new students were on the flight. The statement said that due to the incident the students were unable to enrol on time, the university had decided to extend their registration period.
Meanwhile, the ill-fated flight’s passengers were offered 600 yuan each by Capital Airlines as compensation for the incident. They were also reportedly offered a free ferry ride from Shenzhen to Macau.
Since its opening in November 1995, the Macau International Airport has never had a serious accident.
This photo shows Capital Airlines passengers standing near the runway in Shenzhen airport after their emergency evacuation yesterday. Courtesy Hou Kong Daily
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