KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The pilot of the AirAsia X flight that was forced to return to Perth on Sunday due to the engine problems had acted with courage and “incredible professionalism”, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The minister said the actions of the pilot and crew helped ensure there were no casualties during the Perth-Kuala Lumpur flight on Sunday.
“I would like to commend AirAsia X pilot and cabin crew for handling the emergency situation involving flight D7 237 with professionalism and courage.
“The pilot had handled the issue with incredible professionalism and act swiftly and proficiently to protect the safety of passengers onboard,” he said in a statement.
Liow said he also ordered the Department of Civil Aviation to investigate the incident and to publish its findings.
The Airbus A330 in question is believed to have lost a turbine blade in one of its engines, which caused the plane to vibrate like a “washing machine” 90 minutes into the flight.
The incident met with added controversy as the pilot reportedly asked passengers to pray for their safety.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is also investigating the incident that it classified as “serious”, and examining why the pilots chose not to divert to Learmonth, which was 25 minutes away when the incident occurred, and instead flew back to Perth that was 90 minutes away.
AirAsia said yesterday that it was also investigating the incident together with Roll Royce, the manufacturer of the engines used on the A330.
