On a typical day at Pemba Airport, passengers of Airlink flight 4Z 204 from Johannesburg experienced unexpected thrills when their aircraft, an Embraer 135 Regional Jet, registration ZS-SJX, encountered a ‘wet runway’ incident.
Watch: Airlink ‘wet runway’ incident at Pemba Airport
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The plane aquaplaned off the runway, creating tense moments for those on board.
Karin Murray, Airlink’s Marketing Manager for Africa, detailed the incident, stating,
“Airlink regrets to confirm one of its aircraft was involved in a wet runway excursion upon landing at Pemba in Mozambique this afternoon.”
Fortunately, all 32 passengers and three crew members disembarked safely through the main front entrance, with no injuries reported.
What is a ‘runway excursion’?
A runway excursion, for those not versed in aviation lingo, occurs when an aircraft departs the runway during the take-off or landing run.
This can be particularly dangerous during wet conditions, where the risk of aquaplaning is high.
Murray assured that Airlink and airport personnel at Pemba were taking care of the customers and crew. Additionally, relevant authorities in Mozambique and South Africa were notified.
The runway was temporarily closed, but plans were in place to dispatch a backup aircraft to Pemba to operate the return flight once it reopened.
TMurray added that an Airlink recovery team would travel to Pemba to assist with retrieving the aircraft and that the airline would provide all necessary assistance to Mozambique’s investigators.
As for the passengers, their unexpected adventure at Pemba Airport ended safely, albeit likely with a few more grey hairs and heart-stopping moments than they might have anticipated when they boarded the flight in Johannesburg.