KUCHING: A light aircraft with six people aboard, including a state minister, skidded upon landing at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) here today.
However, none of the passengers, including Sarawak Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, nor the pilot and co-pilot were injured in the incident involving a Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd Beechcraft Super King Air B200GT aircraft from Mukah.
State Fire and Rescue Department director Nor Hisham Mohamad said the light aircraft skidded off the runway, ending up about 500m away from the airport control tower.
“An eight-man team from the Tabuan Jaya fire station was deployed to the scene after receiving a distress call at 6.09pm. The aircraft had skidded off the runaway upon landing at the airport. All six passengers and the pilot of the aircraft have safely exited the skidded aircraft,” he said.
Nor Hisham could not confirm if Fatimah was aboard the aircraft.
Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd senior manager at KIA, Mohd Nadzim Hashim, said the runaway has been closed to allow work to remove the aircraft.
“The runway has been closed for now and works to remove the disabled aircraft is on-going,” he told the New Straits Times.
Nadzim, however, was unable to elaborate on the number of flights delayed by the closure of the runaway.
“We will update later,” he said.
It is understood, however, that airport authorities have targeted the reopening of the runway for 10.30pm.
Fatimah later told the New Straits Times that she was grateful to the pilot of the aircraft for handling the situation well.
“Alhamdulillah, all of us are safe and sound. I am grateful that none of the passengers and crew members were injured. I am already home with my family,” she said.
Fatimah had attended the launching of mini regatta in Kampung Balan, Dalat about 40km from Mukah this morning and was supposed to leave for Kuching at 4.30pm.
“But there was a change of programme compelling us to reschedule our departure to an hour later,” she said.
She added that the flight from Mukah to Kuching was smooth as the weather was clear.
It was only when the aircraft was attempting to land at KIA that the aircraft encountered a problem.
“It was raining heavily when the aircraft was attempting to land at the airport. As the pilot was manoeuvring to land, I could feel that the aircraft was veering to one side, perhaps because a strong gust of wind had hit it.
“This caused the aircraft to skid when it landed and it subsequently went off the runway,” she said.
Fatimah said there are four passengers, a pilot and a co-pilot on board the light aircraft, which skidded about 6pm.