Here’s a video of the AirAsia X flight that became famous thanks to a plea by an elusive teenager named Madeline Wright.
Passengers on the Sunday flight reported hearing a loud explosion before the Airbus A330 began to shudder, with some saying the pilot urged them to pray they would return safely.
The pilot drew criticism from some passengers for his call for prayer, while aviation ‘experts’ believed Australians should think twice before flying with budget airlines after an AirAsia X flight bound for Malaysia was forced to return to Perth due to an engine failure.
In the meantime, Madeline Wright’s Facebook page does not say much besides the viral message that caught global attention.
The teen’s Facebook message was widely published in local media in Malaysia, but it was not mentioned in any serious Aussie papers or online portals.
“Everything is under control in the cockpit. If you want to say a prayer, that might help too.” his ask for prayer was said in such way that it was only to make us feel better and if it helped that was an individual thing, said the teen.
Despite landing the plane safely, one Mr Hansford said the alleged behaviour of the pilot sounded anything but professional.
“The pilot’s responsibility is to make all of the passengers feel comfortable and let them know that he’s in command,” he said.
“Now in asking people to pray, that’s almost saying that he’s passing the responsibility to some other person that’s not on the plane.”
The said Hansford also criticised the airline for its cost structure.
“If the difference in the fare was $200, is my life worth $200?” he said, according to abc.net.au.