AirAsia plane engine stalls before take-off: Report

KUALA LUMPUR — Passengers panicked when the engine of an AirAsia plane failed just before it took off from the Juanda, Surabaya International Airport, local news media reported today (Jan 4).

The plane’s engine had died off after two to three metres of taxiing before a take-off. The passengers who were on the flight to Bandung were then told to get down from the aircraft for repair works, Indonesia’s Metro TV reported.

Passenger Yusuf Fitriadi reportedly said a man dressed as a pilot had approached the passengers at the waiting lounge and had explained that there was a problem with the starter monitor.

He said despite attending to the problem and announcing that the flight will continue, almost 90 per cent of passengers decided not to board for fear that the same problem may recur mid-air. Yusuf said AirAsia authorities then refunded the money to passengers who decided not to fly. CHANNEL NEWSASIA