TEMPO.CO, Medan - Lion Air aircraft flight number JT 303 scheduled for a flight to Soekarno-Hatta airport from Kualanamu airport in Medan was immediately grounded after a trail of smoke was seen coming out from its rear part before taking off.
Dewandono Prasetyo Nugroho, Kualanamu airport public relation officer, said that the plane was experiencing technical problem. "When the plane was about to be taken to the runway, some suddenly came out from its rear part," Dewandono said to Tempo on Friday, April 24, 2015.
A loud noise was heard from the aircraft when the pilot was initiating a push back before heading the plane towards the supposed direction.
After hearing the noise, Lion Air crews and technicians immediately requests all passengers to disembark the airplane through the front door.
The incident caused 206 passengers to be stranded at the Kualanamu airport. "Two hundred and six passengers of the [damaged] airplane will be flown using other airplane," Dewandono said.
SAHAT SIMATUPANG | ANTARA
