Exclusive:Qatar Air Passenger Speaks To CKN On In Flight Experience On Troubled Plane

Mr & Mrs Cele B Mbadianya

Mr and MNrs Mbadianya and a Family friend

How would you feel if you were told that the plane you just boarded almost crashed? Well, some don’t live to tell the story, while for others. It’s a divine intervention. So it was today when at about 12 noon today we got a call that an International airline heading into Lagos was having problem landing. The caller was incoherent but apprehension could be heard from his voice. Our attempt to get the actual airline was unsuccessful since he was too afraid to speak.

While we were still contemplating on what was happening, the social media was already awash that a Qatar Airways plane was in distress. At this point, a call came in from our reliable source at the BBC in London,who asked if we were aware that a Qatar Airways flight from Doha was finding it difficult to land in Lagos. This was all we needed to raise our ever reliable antennae..

We dispatched our crack team just as we did during the Dana Airline crash straight to the Murtala Muhammed Airport to get a minute by minute update on the airline.

We published the first news about the landing of the plane after over an hour in the air. It landed with a busted tyre.

We didn’t stop at that, we decided to have a one on one interview with one of the lucky passengers of the airline.

This will be the first published interview by any media house in Nigeria on that flight…

CKN Nigeria: Good afternoon sir. Can we meet you.

Passenger: Good afternoon, My name is Cele B Mbadianya

CKN Nigeria: Are you a Nigerian and where were you coming from?

Passenger: I am  a Nigerian ,coming from Doha  and I was a passenger in that aircraft (pointing at the Qatar Plane).

CKN Nigeria: what was your seat number?

Passenger: I was sitting on seat 12B

CKN Nigeria: When did you leave Doha?

Passenger: We left Doha at about 6am today (Saturday 29^th September 2012)

CKN Nigeria: When were you expected to land?

Passenger: Our flight was scheduled to touch down at about 1pm Nigerian time

CKN Nigeria: How was the atmosphere within the aircraft throughout your journey?

Passenger: The atmosphere was good, we had fun, it was a smooth flight

CKN Nigeria: At what point did you notice the plane was having a problem?

Passenger: My brother, none of us was aware of what was happening. We were not told anything, infact we didn’t know anything. All we knew was that the plane hovered for some time, but we felt probably the airport was busy for clearance.

CKN Nigeria: So at what point did you notice there was a problem.

Passenger: It was immediately we landed safely that the Pilot now told us that we almost had a near miss,infact that the aircraft had problem and that the byre busted

CKN Nigeria: What happened then?

Passenger: Immediately he made the announcement, everyone busted into tears, wailing, crying etc .It was unbelieveable.We now looked outside the aircraft and saw a multitude of people, with fire service men etc. Immediately we switched on the phone, text messages were landing in torrents’, apparently everyone was aware of the incident except us the passengers.

CKN Nigeria: What happened there after?

Passenger: We were asked to remain inside the plane for up to an hour, since the plane couldn't move again. A towing vehicle was now brought to tow the plane to its final destination before we now disembarked.

CKN Nigeria: What did you notice when you disembarked

Passenger: I noticed the busted tyre, it was the outer tyre at the back .One of the two on the left hand of the rear tyre.

CKN Nigeria: How do you feel now?

Passenger: Am short of words and need to see my family quickly. I thank God for sparing our lives. We will always praise and worship him

CKN Nigeria: Congrats my brother.

Passenger: Thanks, I am one of your greatest fans , my wife told me she read the story first on CKN Nigeria page. Keep up the good work