Jacqueline Sannen and her husband from Tilburg were in good spirits on a plane with 155 other passengers on Monday morning. The Transavia aircraft was supposed to take them from Eindhoven Airport to Alicante, Spain, but suddenly everything changed. “We all had to leave the plane and our suitcases also had to be taken out.”
What was the case? Jacqueline says: “We were waiting for departure when we heard a big bang and the plane went back and forth. We were immediately told to get out.”
It soon became clear what had caused this breakdown: a so-called ambulift had collided with the aircraft for an unknown reason. The vehicle allows people in wheelchairs to be brought on board an aircraft and lifted off again. The collision was so violent, a spokesperson for Eindhoven Airport confirms, that the plane could not depart at the scheduled time (a quarter to eight). According to Jacqueline, there was even a big hole in the plane, she had heard that from a co-pilot. No one was injured.
It was a major setback for the Tilburg couple and their fellow passengers. Jacqueline: “I turn 57 tomorrow and we were going to celebrate in Alicante. Initially it was not clear whether and at what time we would still be in the air. An airplane would have to come from Schiphol to be able to take care of the trip.” The spokesperson for the Eindhoven civil airport also agrees: “The replacement aircraft will depart at a quarter past eleven.”
So things aren’t too bad for the Tilburg couple. Moreover, they are used to something, says Jacqueline: “We have already been stuck in a plane for two hours because of a storm. And twice we experienced a flight being delayed due to a bomb threat, once here in Eindhoven. Then someone had to come and investigate everything.”
Is it still fun to fly after such incidents? Of course, let the Tilburg resident know. “We travel by plane at least five to six times a year. Flying for us is the same as taking the bus for others.” It is the first time that they have gone to Alicante – for a midweek. There is every reason for this: “It was my idea to eat a birthday cake there tomorrow because of my birthday.”