Published
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 - 14:04
Air Bagan plane makes emergency landing
An Air Bagan flight made an emergency landing at Rangoon International Airport after one engine failed just after takeoff, it is the second such incident within two weeks according to passengers and airline sources.
An Air Bagan flight made an emergency landing at Rangoon International Airport after one engine failed just after takeoff, it is the second such incident within two weeks according to passengers and airline sources.
The Air Bagan flight, XY-AIA, was destined for Ngapali on the Bay of Bengal but returned to Rangoon's Mingalardon Airport about 30 minutes after takeoff.
"Thirty-five passengers were on board but nobody realized what was happening", said one passenger.
The propeller ATR 72-212 aircraft is on loan from Myanmar Airways.
This is the second near miss disaster for the airline this year, which is owned by Tay Za, one of the junta's closest business partners and a target of United States' sanctions.
On February 19, an Air Bagan flight to Putao from Myitkyina overran its runway by three-hundred feet. The plane's captain broke his leg and the body of the craft was damaged.
