A Lion Air Boeing 737-900ER skidded off the runway after arriving at Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, Indonesia. The plane ran off the paved surface at the site while it was backtracking.
A domestic operation
According to Malay language outfit Kosmo!, registration JT-173 departed Hang Nadim Airport, Batam at 13:33 and landed at Radin Inten II Airport at 14:45. All times are local. The aircraft had 125 adult passengers on board, along with a child and two babies. They were joined by seven flight attendants on the journey.
The plane was performing Flight JT173, carrying seven cabin crew and 125 adult passengers, one child and two babies. Radin Inten II Airport public relations officer Pujo Wusono confirmed that the aircraft involved in the incident was operated by Lion Air. However, at the time, investigations were still ongoing to conclude what the cause of the accident was.
Stuck in the mud
Pujo said the following, as reported by Kosmo!:
“It is true that there was an incident (involving a plane that skidded). The incident needs further investigation to identify the cause.
Nonetheless, a tweet by aviation news outlet JACDEC shows that the plane ran off the paved surface while backtracking after it landed on the airport’s runway 14. Heavy rain may have been a factor in the accident. The picture notably shows plenty of mud surrounding the body and landing gear of the 737.
Lion Air Boeing 737-900 (PK-LGP) ran off paved surface while backtracking after landing runway 14 in heavy rain at Bandar Lampung Airport (WILL). Flight #JT173 from Batam bogged down in deep mud. @GerryS pic.twitter.com/N1qY1TTU2k
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) December 20, 2020
Passengers helped off
Thankfully, there are no reports of any fatal consequences following the incident. Ultimately, officers at the airport helped evacuate all passengers traveling on the 737. This incident isn’t by far the worst accident involving one of Lion Air’s 737s. Infamously, one of the airline’s 737 MAXs fatally crashed in 2019. The airline will be keeping a close eye on the MAX’s introduction.
Simple Flying reached out to Lion Air for comment about what happened in the incident. We will update the article with any further information from the airline.
What are your thoughts about this incident involving one of Lion Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft? Were you one of the travelers onboard the plane when the incident happened? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.
