El Al plane lands in Turkey after engine malfunctions
El Al Boeing 737 plane en route from Bucharest to Tel Aviv lands safely in Istanbul following malfunction in one of its engines. Turkish airport on hand with rescue and fire crews
El Al Spokesman Ran Rahav said, "A delay has occurred due to a technical malfunction. We apologize for this." About the malfunction, he said that the plane will be repaired and then returned to Israel.
Haim from Kiryat Ata, a passenger on the Romania-Israel flight, told Ynet, "We left Bucharest to Tel Aviv yesterday evening on an El Al Boeing 737 airplane that was practically full. Everybody dozed off after eating, and then all of a sudden the flight attendants started running around and bringing the chairs to their upright position.
"The pilot announced that there was a malfunction and said that it was only in one engine. At approximately midnight, we landed in Istanbul. The pilot safely landed the plane. Fire-fighting trucks arrived. About 15 minutes later, we got off the plane, and they put us in some waiting room."
He added, "At some point, another plane was sent, but the authorities did not allow it to land, apparently for security reasons. They announced that they would arrange a hotel for us, even though we explained that there are religious people (on the flight) who can't stay in a hotel and that there are sick people who need medicines that can only be purchased in Israel. Now we are in a hotel and waiting for an alternate plane.
"Of course, they arranged kosher food for us. The flight attendants are with us and everyone is really doing okay."
Initial information received via Red Mail
