Doomed Aeroflot flight 'landed in ghostly silence'

A passenger on the ill-fated Aeroflot flight AFL 521 recounted his horror yesterday at seeing the plane's engines burst into flames as it hit the runway.

The craft, which belly-landed at Dubai International Airport at 8.15pm on Friday evening, disrupted 48 scheduled arrivals and closed the Airport for over 13 hours.

The male passenger, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, described a flight that began and ended in strife, and praised the swift actions of the Aeroflot crew.

He said: "The flight was scheduled to leave Moscow at 13.55pm, but began badly when a disruptive Nigerian passenger demanded to leave the plane shortly after boarding. He became threatening towards the cabin crew when they refused to let him disembark before take-off.

After several scuffles, he was restrained heavily with tape, but by this time many of the other passengers had been upset by the behaviour.

"When he was eventually taken off the aircraft, followed by his travelling companion, a certain amount of panic had set in because so many people were nervous about flying following the incidents in the U.S.

"The journey was uneventful, and everyone eventually settled down for the four and a half hour flight.

"However, once the plane started coming in to land, I remember counting down the feet in hundreds, but thinking how silent the aircraft seemed. Then, we hit the tarmac and the familiar roar of the reverse thrust didn't cut in. The landing was so silent and smooth that everyone started clapping for the captain with relief.

"It was at that moment that we saw two bursts of white light, as if giant flashbulbs had gone off on either side of the plane. Then we saw the flames exploding from the engines and total panic set in.

"People were fighting to clamber over seats and each other as they realised the magnitude of the situation. Luckily I was seated just behind first class on the right side of the cabin near the emergency exit. The cabin crew - much to their credit - had the escape routes and emergency ramps open in seconds and I was one of the first to leave the plane.

"I slid down the chute and ran like hell, thinking the aircraft was about to explode. Finally I stopped about 200 yards from the plane. I saw around 100 other people running behind me and the first fire truck approaching the aircraft, squirting water as it went.

"We continued our journey unaccompanied towards Terminal Two, and crossed another runway. After this we were picked up by airport police and personnel in buses, which waited on the tarmac for 45 minutes and finally took us to the departure lounge.

"We were issued transit visas - but were detained for a further hour and a half, and it was at this point that medical personnel came to check on the injured.

"During this time, the shocked and upset could not get to the toilet – unless they were carrying their passports, but most of them had abandoned all belongings with the plane in their efforts to escape.