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Lufthansa Passenger Screamed "Let Me Off!" After Near-Miss Incident At JFK
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 23, 2011
Modified Jun 23, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 23, 2011
Modified Jun 23, 2011
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Passengers on a Lufthansa Airbus A340 have spoken out about the near-miss the plane had on a JFK Airport runway Monday night. One man on the Munich-bound flight told the Post, "You accelerated, and suddenly, when you think you’re going to lift, then [the pilot] panic braked. [My wife and I] looked at each other and said, ‘This is not good. It doesn’t feel right’. Then, the plane stopped." He added, "At the end [back] of the plane there was one lady screaming she wanted to get off. ‘Let me off.’ When we came to the gate, she left with her husband."
The terrifying incident occurred when an EgyptAir plane turned onto the runway where the Lufthansa plane was taking off at 180 mph. The FAA says the EgyptAir flight didn't follow instructions and an air traffic controller was heard yelling, "No! Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!"
Another passenger told Yeshiva World News, “Approximately midway through its takeoff roll everyone heard the reverse thrust kick in and the pilot slammed on the breaks. We came to a stop very quickly, and stayed on the active runway. Nothing fell from the short stop, but people became very alarmed and the captain or the stewardess did not inform anyone what was going on... After approximately 5 minutes we taxied onto a taxiway and stopped. Emergency Services arrived quickly, and the pilot finally informed us of what happened. He said that because he had applied the brakes so hard, he was now getting warning messages that indicated the brakes were overheated, and that’s why the fire department was there." Then they were told they were going back for refueling.
Tagged
air travel
egyptair
jfk airport
Lufthansa
near collision
near miss
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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