Passengers are shown in life vests as the Cathay Pacific plane prepared for emergency landing. The pilot reportedly considered ditching the plane. Photos: Bloomberg, Ethan Williams
Passengers took selfies amid Cathay smoke emergency
A Cathay Pacific plane that made an emergency landing in Alaska could have ended up in the water as the pilot considered ditching it.
Flight CX884 eventually made it safely to a military airport on the Aleutian Islands.
It was carrying 276 passengers and 18 crew.
The flight was enroute from Hong Kong to Los Angeles when smoke was detected in the cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Apple Daily is reporting that passengers were asked by the crew to wear life vests and prepare for evacuation as the pilot contemplated a water landing.
A passenger, writing on Facebook, said the incident was the “most terrifying moment” in his life.
People were crying and some were frantically pacing the cabin while others braced themselves in their seats, he said.
Still, a few took selfies in their life jackets amid the acrid smell of smoke.
The airline apologized for the incident on Thursday and offered each passenger HK$2,325 (US$228) in compensation.
Investigators traced the smoke to an equipment cooling fan beneath the cabin floor which had failed, airline officials said.
Smoke was detected largely around the cockpit area.
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