Cathay Pacific flight makes emergency landing, man vlogs experience

A tourist got some extra footage for his travel vlog when his Cathay Pacific flight plane was forced to make an emergency landing at a remote Alaskan airport on Wednesday (July 29).

Mr Ethan Williams was flying from Hong Kong to Los Angeles on Cathay Pacific flight CX884 when his flight was disrupted by an on board announcement telling passengers and crew that the plane had to make an unscheduled landing.

He later posted a video of the entire incident on his YouTube account which he uses to chronicle his travels around the world.

 

 

The video starts with a concerned looking Williams speaking to the camera and saying that the flight attendants were "running like crazy," and that the "warning signs" were going off.

Moments later, an announcement about the plane making an emergency landing is made. 

Midway through the video, an ever more worried looking Mr Williams says the passengers have been given instructions to take out the life jackets from under the seat.

The passengers are then given instructions on how to brace themselves for a landing, though they are still unaware of where they are about to land. 

Most don't look panicked. 

 

 

Towards the end of the video, Williams can be seen giving the thumbs up and pumping his fist to fellow passengers as it's announced that the plane will make a normal landing at Shemya airport.

 

The South China Morning Post reported that Shemya airport is a small military airport located on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

It is closer to Russia than mainland Alaska and has only a few military servicemen stationed at the base.

 

Shemya airport on the map. PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

In the video, claps and cheers can be heard as the plane successfully makes a landing at the airport.

In a statement, Cathay Pacific said that the flight made a "precautionary diversion to Shemya military airport" due to a technical issue.

Smoke was detected in the cockpit area because of the technical issue.

 

 

 

 

The Boeing 777-300ER was declared "serviceable" and then was flown to nearby Anchorage, Alaska on Thursday (July 30).

A replacement flight met the passengers at Anchorage and flew all 276 passengers to their original destination, Los Angeles, where they landed later that same day.

Cathay told passengers they would each receive a cash card worth US$300 (S$412) when they landed at Los Angeles and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the emergency landing.

 

 

Source: South China Morning Post, YouTube, Twitter