KUALA TERENGGANU: A Diamond 40 light aircraft made an emergency landing at Pantai Tok Jembal here after its engine stalled in mid-air, 3,000 metres above the ground.
Trainee pilot Shafiq Mohd Kamil, 19, and flight trainer Naing Myint Khine, 46, of Asia Pacific Flight Training in Kota Baharu, Kelantan, were uninjured in the 10.45am incident.
Shafiq Haizam said he and his Myanmar national trainer took off from Kota Baharu to Sultan Mahmud Airport, here, at 8.11am for a routine training.
"We turned back to Kota Baharu after arriving at the airport here. However, when we were flying over Bukit Rakit at the height of 3,000 metres, the engine suddenly stalled. I tried to restart it but could not.
"The flight trainer then took over the controls and brought it to land at Pantai Tok Jembal," he told reporters at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here today.
He said that it was his first encounter with such experience and said that he was grateful to be safe.
The experience would not hamper his spirit in pursuing his dream to become a pilot, he added.
Shafiq Haizam has six more months to go before completing the two-year course.
A check at the scene found that the aircraft was intact with no serious damage visible.
Several firemen, police personnel and Asia Pacific Flight Training staff were also at the scene.- Bernama
Source:
New Straits Times