KUALA LUMPUR: Unfavourable weather conditions may have led to the diversion of the flight ferrying Women, Family, and Community Development deputy minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud when contacted said depending on the weather conditions, there is a possibility that the pilot will attempt another approach to land if he evaluates there is an improvement based on the prevailing weather at that time.
"The weather in Kota Baru yesterday was quite severe.
"I cannot comment on the pilot's decision because the actual weather conditions at that moment were not within my knowledge.
"The pilot must ensure there is sufficient fuel for the operation. If the weather conditions don't indicate any improvement, the pilot needs to decide to divert to an airport with better weather conditions for landing,"
Earlier, in a now-deleted Facebook post, Noraini shared a frightening experience when the plane she was on failed to land thrice.
The incident had occurred at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Baru, Kelantan, as she was headed to attend a Small Rubber Planters Development Authority programme there.
As a result, the aircraft had to divert back to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor.
Noraini in the post also expressed her feelings during the situation.
"A frightening experience. The pilot attempted to land three times.
"The plane was circling. All sorts of feelings were there. Wanting to cry, feeling nauseous, needing to use the restroom... it was truly terrifying."
Noraini added that in the end, the plane had to return to Subang due as it was running out of fuel.
"I've never experienced such a frightening ordeal. Thank you Allah, for granting me the chance to continue serving."
However, she did not specify the cause behind the plane's inability to land, whether it was due to weather conditions, technical issues, or other problems.