Share

Mid-air scare on Air Zim flight: 'People were crying and praying,' says passenger

Harare - An Air Zimbabwe flight from Harare to Dar-es-Salaam was rocked by severe turbulence, creating scenes of panic among passengers who thought the plane was about to break up mid-air, a newspaper said Thursday.

Flight UM438 flew into turbulence around an hour after take-off on Tuesday, said the private NewsDay

'It could have been the end'

"The plane shook like it was about to break up into two. People were crying and praying everywhere in the plane, it was a frightening moment that I will never forget," an unnamed passenger told the paper.

The passenger paid tribute to the plane's captain who managed to keep the aircraft under control. "It could have been the end of me and my family," the passenger said.

Ageing fleet

There were no reports of injuries and the plane landed safely in Dar-es-Salaam. The flight had already been delayed by an hour due to "technical issues", NewsDay said.

Air Zimbabwe runs a tiny fleet of ageing aircraft: two Boeings, an Airbus and one propeller plane. The company has been severely mismanaged and is currently struggling under a debt of around $300 million.

In a report to parliament this week Transport Minister Joram Gumbo said Air Zimbabwe would in the next few weeks "take delivery of new equipment which will greatly improve its operations".

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news from around the continent by subscribing to our FREE newsletter, Hello Africa.

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 494 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 700 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.88
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE