Passengers onboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH2718 which skidded on landing at the Sibu Airport last Saturday were safe as the aircraft captain handled the situation well, said aviation experts.
They concurred that the pilot succeeded in steering the Boeing 737-800 jetliner carrying 61 passengers and six crew members, by reducing the risk of accident despite facing bad weather.
Prof Dr Mohd Harridon Mohamed Suffian believed the captain had made precise technical calculations before making the decision to land the aircraft.
"The decision should be made based on mathematical calculations taking into consideration the length of the runway and the coefficient of friction between the wet runway and aircraft tyres.
"Data on the length of the runway is available in the data sheet at the aircraft cockpit. For me, I would also consider the brake force needed to stop the plane on a wet runway," he told Bernama today.
"If the calculations show the aircraft does not have the full capability to stop within the runway range, I will attempt to land in another airport," added the Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) test pilot.
It was reported MH2718 from Kuala Lumpur skidded while landing in Sibu Airport during heavy rain Saturday night and there was no casualty. All passengers safely disembarked via two evacuation slides and investigations were conducted to determine the cause of incident.
Several passenger claimed the runaway was clogged and they heard the sound of brakes being applied before the aircraft skidded and stopped. Passengers said the pilot had acted professionally in such adverse circumstances for everyone's safety.
Mohd Harridon said when an aircraft skidded, the standard operating procedure was to activate the evacuation slides after coming to a halt.
He said the flight crew should also count and ensure all passengers disembarked from the plane and the pilot should ensure all engines were switched off to reduce the risk of fire.
Sharing the view was Captain Abdul Rahmat Omar Tun Mohd Haniff who described the move to land the aircraft as a good decision as compared to other choices such as circulating longer in the air.
"When an aircraft skids, the pilot has to use the foot brake alternatively to reduce skids with speedbrakes on the wings while applying brakes on the tyres and using the thrust reverser to slow down the plane.
"Circulating in the air to wait for better weather is another alternative but it will burn more fuel. The other choice is to land at another airport where the weather is fine," said the former Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) investigating officer.
Asked on the measures to be taken in another similar situation, Abdul Rahmat said if the rain was extremely heavy, the airport management should get personnel to check the runway surface and advise the air traffic control and airlines concerned on whether to land or proceed to another airport.
Another aviation expert-cum-local pilot who declined to be identified said if an aircraft skidded off the runway, it was usually due to the runway contaminated by rain or snow.
"The right thing to do is to evacuate the aircraft as quickly as possible and get the passengers somewhere safe, which was most probably what they did," he said.
According to him, pilots should have at least one alternate airport to land in case they could not land at their destination airport.
He said most pilots assessed their destination airport first, on whether it was suitable to land or not and they would decide where to land.
"In this case, the pilots decided that the runway was safe enough for landing. Landing on a wet runway is a normal thing to do. We can see airplanes landing in rain every day.
"It is safe and pilots are well trained to do that. It's just unfortunate that their airplane skidded uncontrollably and went off the runway. If I were the pilot, I would have probably done the same thing," he added.
It was reported the incident involving the skidding of a Malaysia Airlines aircraft upon landing at the Sibu Airport last Saturday night was still under investigation.
Transport Ministry's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) director Datuk Yahaya Abdul Rahman said two AAIB officers were there to investigate the incident involving Flight MH2718, and it was conducted in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13. -- Bernama
Bernama
Tue Apr 11 2017
It was reported that MH2718 from Kuala Lumpur skidded while landing in Sibu Airport during heavy rain Saturday night and there was no casualty. Filepic
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.