Air Niugini Flight 72 was due to touch down Friday at the international airport on Weno, the main island of Chuuk state, Micronesia, but "landed short of the runway," according to a statement from Air Niugini, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea.Bill Jaynes, managing editor of a Micronesia-based newspaper, was on the plane when it hit the water. "It's just surreal. I thought we landed hard until I looked over and saw a hole in the side of the plane and water was coming in, and I thought, well, this is not, like the way it's supposed to happen," he said in a video posted to Facebook.Jaynes said passengers on the plane were in water up to their waists and used the emergency exit to escape. Photographs and video footage posted online showed small fishing boats surrounding the stricken, semi-submerged plane, ferrying passengers to safety. The airline confirmed that all on board were able to safely evacuate the aircraft. "The airline is making all efforts to ensure the safety and immediate needs of our passengers and crew," it added.Passengers and crew were taken to hospital for checks and no serious injuries were reported.
Original Article
Air Niugini Flight 72 was due to touch down Friday at the international airport on Weno, the main island of Chuuk state, Micronesia, but "landed short of the runway," according to a statement from Air Niugini, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea.Bill Jaynes, managing editor of a Micronesia-based newspaper, was on the plane when it hit the water. "It's just surreal. I thought we landed hard until I looked over and saw a hole in the side of the plane and water was coming in, and I thought, well, this is not, like the way it's supposed to happen," he said in a video posted to Facebook.Jaynes said passengers on the plane were in water up to their waists and used the emergency exit to escape. Photographs and video footage posted online showed small fishing boats surrounding the stricken, semi-submerged plane, ferrying passengers to safety. The airline confirmed that all on board were able to safely evacuate the aircraft. "The airline is making all efforts to ensure the safety and immediate needs of our passengers and crew," it added.Passengers and crew were taken to hospital for checks and no serious injuries were reported.
Original Article
