Light aircraft skids off runway at Kuching International Airport

KUCHING: A light aircraft carrying six passengers from Mukah, including a Sarawak minister, skidded at the Kuching International Airport upon landing on Sunday evening.

State Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah was among the passengers on board the plane.
All passengers and crew escaped unhurt in the 6pm incident that forced the airport to suspend operations when the Hornbill Skyways Beechcraft 20 skidded to a spot approximately 500m from the airport's Fire and Rescue control tower.

Fire and Rescue Department response teams from the Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang stations some 10km away were immediately dispatched to the scene and arrived within 15 minutes.

According to the Tabuan Jaya Fire and Rescue operations chief, the Beechcraft 20 belonging to Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd was flying from Mukah to Kuching.

"All six passengers and crew including the pilot managed to get off the plane and they are all safe," he said.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd senior manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim said work to remove the aircraft is estimated to take about two hours before normal operations at the airport can be resumed.

At press time, the airport has yet to disclose how many flights were affected, although it is understood that the affected flights would be diverted to Sibu airport.

"Praise God that all of us are safe. The journey from Mukah was fine until it was time for landing," said Fatimah.

The Dalat assemblyman was in Mukah to officiate at several events, including a mini regatta at Kampung Balan, the opening of the waterfront and cement walkway.

She was also in Mukah to visit her constituents in Kampung Tanam and Kampung Terus before attending a religious talk for students at Masjid Nur Muslihin.