How we cheated death

Arusha. Six passengers who cheated death in a plane plunge in Lake Manyara on Thursday yesterday hailed their “hero pilot” for the miraculous escape.

Narrating the chilling mid-air ordeal when all the engines of the Tanzan Air plane suddenly stopped working, the survivors revealed how they prayed to God to save their lives.

“We cried to God to spare our lives and then a chilling silence descended on us as the aircraft was hurtling down at high speed,” said Anic Kashasha from her hospital bed in Arusha.

She said the pilot, identified only as Kondo, struggled to avoid land and aimed at the water to minimize what would have been a disastrous impact.

A prominent Dar es Salaam lawyer Protas Ishengoma, a member of the IMMA Advocates outfit, said all the engines ceased at 16,000 feet above sea level. He was seated in the cockpit with the pilot when the unthinkable events begun to unfold.

“I saw first-hand how the pilot struggled to steer the plane from imminent disaster after losing power. He told us he would aim for the water and that decision kept death at bay,” Ishengoma explained.

He said the pilot announced he had lost one engine at 21,000 feet above sea level. “He declared an emergency and said we would land in Arusha shortly but at 16,000 feet the other engine also seized and the aircraft started descending at high speed.”

According to Ishengoma, who also spoke at the Selian Hospital emergency ward before being discharged, from thereon the group resorted to prayer and then ominous silence surrounded them.

“As human beings, we feared for our lives and the thought of death struck hard,” said Ishengoma, adding that even after splashing the waters no one was certain they would not drown immediately. He said they had already put on their life jacket handed out by the lone pilot.

They said they were lucky that the plane landed in the shallow waters and some fishermen rushed quickly to their rescue. “They plucked us from the plane floating in the water and took us to safety on the lake shores.”

Kashasha said while still high up, they knew it would be impossible to survive a crash.

“We were all resigned to die and I personally placed my life before God and offered what we knew would be our last prayers. I prayed for my wife and children,” Kashasha narrated.

He said their flight from Bukoba to Dar es Salaam, via Zanzibar took off at 7am and the ride was smooth all the way until the engine problems started.“But God is great and today we are all safe and sound despite the slight injuries,” he said.

The survivors hailed the fishermen for their help and promised to return to the scene as a group some other day to thank them.

“We salute the fishermen as the real face of Tanzania. They helped us without asking for a penny and looted nothing at the scene of accident,” said Ishengoma who noted one of the good Samaritans was lame with only one hand.

They group nevertheless criticized emergency response from the government agencies, noting they waited for more than two hours to be whisked away to hospital.

Other survivors were Meeda Naburi, Regina Muta, Aloys Mwanga and Ashura Mohamed. Captain Kondo was not among those at the hospital and efforts to get him were futile yesterday.

They have urged the government to improve emergency and rescue services around the country. “Despite lack of funds the state should ensure vital rescue equipment are in place,” appealed Mr Mwanga.

A relative of one of the survivors Samuel Rugemalila thanked the hospital management for the care they had extended to them.