Addis Ababa, October 20, 2015 (GMN) - Canadian made aircraft of Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier Q-400 plane flight No. ET -150 made an emergency landing while en route from Addis Ababa to Gambella as one of the plane’s wheels dropped off shortly after takeoff.
The wheel, one of two on the left side of the plane, dropped off as the Bombardier Q400’s landing gear retracted after take-off. All 55 passengers and 4 crew members onboard escaped uninjured. According to the passengers whom Awramba Times spoke to, one of the passengers sitting in the window seat witnessed the wheel fall to one of the crew members. After a while, the captain announced to the passengers that he has decided to land them safely back at the Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport. After circling on air for nearly half an hour to burn fuel, the captain took the plane down for landing, though it veered to the right and made he was able to hold the aircraft steady and landed it peacefully Around 4:30 pm local time Many passengers of the aircraft hailed the pilot as a hero. Some even demanded to meet the pilot at the cockpit to express their gratitude for a job well done under very stressful circumstances. (Awramba Times)
