Air Tanzania plane makes emergency landing amid engine problem

A Tanzanian plane with 122 passengers aboard on Saturday was forced to make an emergency landing after experiencing an engine failure midair.

Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) confirmed that its plane which was scheduled to fly to Mbeya experienced an engine problem mid-air and had to detour back to the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam for an emergency landing.

Responding to inquiries made by Mwananchi reporters on Wednesday, ATCL Public Relations Officer Sarah Reuben said the Airbus A220 with registration number 5H-TCH, en route from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya, encountered an engine malfunction mid-flight but the pilots managed foil it.

"The pilots safely guided the plane back to Julius Nyerere International Airport," Ms Reuben said, without disclosing further details regarding the incident. And it was not immediately clear whether the affected aircraft was back in operation.

Passengers, who were aboard the plane recounting the ordeal, said some of them lost consciousness as smoke filled the cabin making it difficult to breathe.

"There were cries of distress. As the smoke increased, people began coughing. Others seemed too overwhelmed and lost consciousness," a passenger who requested anonymity said.

"We saw the plane crew scrambling with fire extinguishers, minutes before an emergency landing was announced," the passenger added.

However, Ms Reuben stated that the smoke incident inside the cabin lasted less than five minutes before the situation was brought under control. She added that the crew diligently provided passengers with precise information during the turbulent flight.

"The entire incident, from takeoff to returning to JNIA, took about 60 minutes. Even after returning to Dar es Salaam, no passenger showed any signs of health complications or needed medical assistance," she stated.

Out of the 122 passengers, 104 boarded another flight to Mbeya afterwards while 18 requested to change their travel dates.