Author: Vipin Vijayan in Mumbai
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: August 25, 2006
URL: http://us.rediff.com/news/2006/aug/25plane1.htm
Nineteen-year-old Karan Singh landed in Mumbai
more than 24 hours behind schedule. But he wasn't peeved at the delay. Instead,
he was relieved. For Singh, a passenger in the Northwest Airlines flight NW042,
a 48-hour ordeal had come to an end.
He was among some 18 passengers who had arrived
in Mumbai on Thursday night after their flight was grounded in Amsterdam and
subsequently cancelled.
The behaviour of a group of passengers aroused
suspicion among the crew, who alerted Dutch officials on ground. Soon, two
Dutch F-16s were out on the skies and escorted the flight back to Amsterdam.
Though he did not witness the drama that took
place inside the aircraft, Singh said the authorities handled the entire operation
well.
"We were told that the aircraft had some
technical problem because of which it would land at the Schiphol airport in
Amsterdam. But upon landing there, it became clear that the reason given to
us was not true. Armed commandos had surrounded the aircraft and the presence
of fighter jets made it clear that something was wrong," he says.
Among others on board the ill-fated flight
was Central Industrial Security Force Deputy Commandant (Retd) Umesh Prasad
Behera.
Behera says the air marshals did what they
ought to have done. The group of 12 passengers was not heeding the instructions
of the stewardesses, who had asked them to switch off their mobile phones
and to remain seated. As their pleas fell on deaf ears, the stewardesses had
to alert the air marshal, Behera said.
"As an educated passenger I had asked
them not to use the lavatory while the plane was taking off, but they did
not listen," he said.
The air marshal tactfully used sign language
to call out the erring passengers so as not to create panic among the other
148 passengers on board the aircraft, he added.
However, Behera said the situation on the
ground could have been handled better.
"There were a number of delays with regard
to inquiry into the incident. These days, enquiry has to be quick. There was
further delay with regard to lodging for the passengers. Nobody was there
to take care of the passengers when the aircraft was at the airport."
he said.
A few others felt that the situation during
the flight and on the ground had been handled well. A Northwest Airlines crewmember,
who preferred to be anonymous, said once it was informed over the passenger
announcement system that the aircraft would land shortly, the marshals took
over. According to him, the passengers were comfortable.
Nitin and Kiran Dalal too were among the passengers
who reached Mumbai. They said that the 12 passengers who were detained were
passing around their mobile phones despite having been instructed to switch
them off.
"They were moving around. Nobody moves
around the aircraft soon after take off. Other passengers were frightened
by their actions. As soon as we landed, some uniformed men took them in handcuffs,"
Kiran said.
"We were not informed about why we had
landed in Amsterdam. I think they said it was a mechanical failure. We were
all very suspicious. We knew something was wrong and that something was going
on. Soon, the cabins and the area under the seats were scanned maybe for explosives.
We didn't know. While waiting in the aircraft, we were not allowed to use
the bathroom. We could not talk to each other. It was very confusing,"
she added.
Stewart Nicol confirmed what the Dalals had
narrated.
Looking to put the harrowing 48 hours behind
him, Nicol said the passengers were told that they will be briefed upon landing
at Amsterdam.
All they said was that there was some sort
of mechanical problem with the plane, he said.
He however denied having seen anything suspicious.
Everybody was just calm, he said.