Biman’s Emergency Landing at Shahjalal Airport Raises Safety Concerns, All 82 Aboard Escape Harm

A sudden technical fault in the air created great fear and a breathless situation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. But the great skill and quick thinking of the pilots saved all 82 people on the plane from a major accident. They were 78 passengers and four crew members. Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG 436 (Dash 8 model) from Cox’s Bazar to Dhaka touched the runway safely after a nose landing gear problem.

According to concerned sources, the Dash 8 (DH 8) plane took off from Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka at 1:35 pm with 78 passengers and 4 crew members. The flight was due to land at 2:30 pm. But in the air, a serious technical fault hit the plane’s No. 2 hydraulic system. As a result, the nose landing gear, the front wheel of the plane, failed to come down in the normal way.

The pilot understood how serious this was. At about 2:20 pm, at a height of about 18,000 feet, he sent an emergency landing message to Area Control. Area Control at once told the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower in Dhaka. The airport went on top alert as soon as the message came. Fire Service, rescue teams and medical units, along with all other emergency teams, stood ready. Officials made every preparation for emergency marshalling on the runway.

The pilot circled in the air for a long time. He was able to bring the nose landing gear down by an alternative or manual method. Then, with great skill, he landed the plane safely on the runway at Shahjalal International Airport at 3:09 pm. Staff took the passengers off the plane safely in the shortest time after landing.

Meanwhile, senior officials rushed to the airport after they heard of the emergency and watched the situation directly. They included the minister in charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). The managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the CAAB member for operations and planning, and the executive director of Shahjalal International Airport were also there. The pilots’ skill avoided a big disaster. Still, talk has started again about the maintenance and technical safety of the national flag carrier’s planes.