Birmingham couple tell of terror when plane made emergency landings
Sep 17 2010 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail
A BIRMINGHAM couple have spoken about the terrifying moment the engines of their jet cut out just as it was about to land.
They praised pilots of the Birmingham Airport-bound Monarch service who managed to touch down in Athens by gliding it in.
It was the second time within 24 hours the same jet had made an emergency landing.
The couple, who were returning to the Midlands from the Greek island of Zakynthos, said they feared for their lives on the Monarch service.
The flight’s 184 passengers finally made it back to Birmingham International Airport more than 24 hours after leaving the holiday hotspot – when Monarch flew in a replacement plane and crew from Manchester.
Last Friday’s scare was the second involving a Birmingham-bound Monarch flight in less than a week.
The Mail told yesterday how 196 passengers were left screaming in terror when a nightmare landing at the city’s airport saw their plane bounce 20ft into the air four times after arriving from Malaga in Spain.
Technical engineer Mark Schofield was on board with his wife and 13 relatives when the drama unfolded on the 5.30am flight from Zakynthos, also known as Zante.
