Passengers let off 'unsafe jet' (BBC News) [View All]

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Passengers let off 'unsafe jet'

About 400 British tourists refused to get back on an aircraft in the Middle East after claiming they saw fuel pouring out of one of the wings.

Monday, 4 April, 2005, 07:01 GMT 08:01 UK

Passengers demanded to be let off the Phuket Air plane at Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates. They said the Gatwick-bound flight aborted take-off three times after refuelling while en route from Bangkok.

Dr Peter Hill, who was on board with his family, said "fuel was spewing out of the right hand wing". The Foreign Office said the passengers would resume their flights on Monday afternoon.

Passenger 'mutiny'

Dr Hill, from the Isle of Wight, told the BBC the plane which had stopped for refuelling looked old. He said: "There must have been 50 or 80 people on the right hand side of the plane screaming, absolutely panicked. "We were just worried that the whole thing was going to ignite. It was just unbelievable."

Officials at the airport had told passengers the plane was being checked and would be ready to take off later on Monday. But many of the passengers said they were too scared to get back on to the plane as they feared it was unsafe. Dr Hill added: "There will be a mutiny, I don't think anyone will get on the flight".