Anyone who has ever used budget airlines know only too well how uncomfortable it can be: long queues, cramped seats and every tiny extra costs you.
But at least they are never told to get out and help push their plane.
That is exactly what happened to a group of passengers in China were after their jet broke down just after landing.
The CRJ7 plane, which had just flown some 500 miles from Guilin in the south of the country with 69 passengers and seven crew members on board, conked out before it could taxi to the arrivals terminal at Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province.
At first, airport staff were the only ones required to help push, but they could not budge the plane.
Even with the combined muscle power of staff and passengers, it took the group nearly two hours to push the plane about 1,000 yards to a side lane.
‘Thank God it was only a 20-ton medium-sized airplane,’ said one of the airport workers. ‘If it were a big plane, it would have knocked us out.’
The jet was still parked in the side lane today waiting for technicians arriving on the next flight to fix the problem.
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th September 2008 at 01:55
Apparently some people seen it on the news a few days ago..
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th September 2008 at 01:31
-It’s clearly infront of a terminal. Unlikely to be just fresh off the runway.
-2 men are wearing camo. The others are all wearing blue shirts or black jackets with blue shirts, suggesting Uniform. Air force probably.
-Notice the comlete lack of detail or technical terms. The aircraft apparently “conked out”.
-The pilots would probably scream if they tried to push it from the trailing edge.
-Allowing passengers to disembark on the runway would be a direct breach of safety.
-Finally, I doubt that many people could honestly push a CRJ700.
What is this, April Fools Day?
By: CloudWarrior - 26th September 2008 at 22:30
Going to be honest, I don’t really believe this story. Not sure what the pic is but I don’t think its as the story says.
I agree, those on the edge of the left wing aren’t even trying ;).
Funny caption anyone?
By: Martin43 - 26th September 2008 at 21:42
Going to be honest, I don’t really believe this story. Not sure what the pic is but I don’t think its as the story says.
By: Conor Mc - 26th September 2008 at 21:06
You would wonder how it could be in passenger safety
By: Ren Frew - 26th September 2008 at 20:15
Apparently whatever the tech problem was also meant that a tug couldn’t be attached.
1L.
Is that why you can see some lads acting as a replacement nose gear there…?:eek::D
By: OneLeft - 26th September 2008 at 19:35
Apparently whatever the tech problem was also meant that a tug couldn’t be attached.
1L.
By: old shape - 26th September 2008 at 19:34
Pushing on the trailing edge is NOT a good idea.
I hope Bombardier have seen this picture as evidence, just in case.
We’ve seen this sort of ignorance in China before, the 747 fan blades buckled with a seat belt for example.
By: tenthije - 26th September 2008 at 18:26
Didn’t this airport have a tug available?
Sign In
September 26, 2008 at 6:19 pm