# 22

The phuket plane crash shocked me cos i was there that fateful day.

Utilised the same runway, on that same windy day.

I guess after flying for 10.5 months, i'm kinda immuned to bad weather and unfazed by strong winds and lashing rains.

We get turbulence all the time, especially at this time of the year, when it is the monsoon season. The turbulence ranged from the mild ones that make u sway from side to side, to the really bad ones that throw u off ur feet and lift u 30cm off the ground.

Phuket's weather has ALWAYS been bad.
Bumpy weather the whole flight from sin-hkt and hkt-sin was usual, but it was especially bad on this particular day.

I remember walking to the opened front door when the plane was parked at the aerobridge, and feeling a strong gush of wind slamming into the aircraft. Trees along the beach, and were visible from the plane, were bent half by the strong winds. My colleagues couldnt even open the doors at the back of the plane to change the waste bins, as per standard ground preparation for the flight back to sin. Two of the girls had to combine their strength to pull the door back in, amidst the raging winds, when one would have been able to close it easily normally.

Paranoid me actually thought there might be an incoming typhoon but since no typhoon alert was raised, i just attributed it to normal bad weather.

I remembered a crew asking captain if it's alright to go and was rightly assured by him.

Which is why i was shocked when flight OG 269 crashed.

This incident served to remind us that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere and we have to be clear-minded and vigilant all the time.

As a crew, we ought to place safety as the top priority.
So many a times, we chit chat with fellow crew and our minds are a thousand miles away during take-off and landing , when we should be silently reviewing our standard evacuation procedures. Some crew dont bother to ask passengers to place the bags underneath their seat cos they want to spare the trouble of explaining the reason to them. Briefing of passengers at emergency exits were sloppily done when it should be clear and precise.

As a passenger, we ought to adhere to the safety procedures set out by ICAO and listen to the crew.
Many a times, passengers seated at emergency exits dont bother to listen when the crew is briefing them on how to open the exits in case of emergency. Putting down the papers for half a min to listen carefully can save their own life and that of so many others. Many passengers also find it a nuisance to stow their baggage properly underneath their seat. They complain and "show face" when it's all for their own safety. I've had ridiculous passengers telling me "This is prada/dior/chanel/lv u know?" Tucking their bags right underneath the seat properly will actually enable them to escape efficiently in case of emergency, and not cause them to trip and fall over their bags, and be trampled over in a stampede. No mercy will be shown when everyone's fighting for survival. Having ur beloved prada or chanel bag on ur lap is NOT going to save you.

You never know when an emergency evacuation will happen.

Sad as i was over the phuket crash, i was still heartened up by the swift evacuation of passengers from the china airlines plane recently.

It is incidents like this that remind us cabin crew the importance of our role in ensuring a safe flight for everyone.

I hope more people will see us less as their porter or waitress, and more as people who will help save their lives in case of emergency.

My heart goes out to the passengers and crew of the phuket crash, as well as their families.