An Airlink plane skidded off the runway while landing at Pemba Airport in Mozambique during a thunderstorm. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the airline stated that the incident occurred due to a wet runway. Read the statement:
RUNWAY EXCURSION AT PEMBA INVOLVING AIRLINK FLIGHT 4Z 204 JOHANNESBURG —
Airlink regrets to confirm one of its aircraft was involved in a wet runway excursion upon landing at Pemba in Mozambique this afternoon.
The Embraer 135 Regional Jet, registration ZS-SJX, operating as flight 4Z 204 from Johannesburg, had 32 passengers and three crew onboard. Everyone onboard disembarked from the aircraft through the main front entrance. At this time, there have been no reported injuries. Airlink and airport personnel at Pemba are taking care of the customers and crew.
Airlink has notified the relevant Mozambique and South African authorities. The airport operator has closed the runway, but as soon as it re-opens, we will dispatch a back-up aircraft to Pemba to operate the return flight. An Airlink recovery team will travel to Pemba to assist with retrieving the aircraft, which had aquaplaned off the runway.
Airlink will also provide all necessary assistance to Mozambique’s investigators. As the country of occurrence, Mozambique’s Directorate of Air Accident Investigations will conduct the formal investigation into the occurrence.
We will provide updates as more verified information becomes available.
This is not the first occurrence where an Airlink plane has overshot the runway. Back in 2009, during a landing in George, a similar incident happened, resulting in minor injuries for eight individuals.
