Get real Merpati!

Get real Merpati!

"Get the feeling" is the motto of airline Merpati. You are
supposed to feel great when you fly with them...except you don't.

I boarded flight MZ 6600 Y on March 29 from Denpasar to
Mataram with other things on my mind...but not for long.

The state of everything onboard indicates that Merpati will
only upgrade its fleet, if at all, once they start crashing.

The windows are so lacerated they are translucent, their
rubber seals are peeling and the doors look like metal fatigue
has set in.

And, irrespective of safety, the seats are broken so you sit
like a pudding. And their food could not be more pointless.

But my major criticism is that, because of incompetence, we
very nearly crashed on takeoff, which would have injured all 50
of us onboard.

On takeoff, the plane began swerving.

And it became more extreme until the plane was about to topple
over. But it was only after my life had flashed before my eyes
that the pilots reduced speed.

By this time, it wasn't just the uncontrollable air-
conditioning that had frozen us, but fear.

And, to add insult to near mass injury, the hostess asked for
a second attempt!

I have been in a few foreboding situations before, but as we
taxied up the runway again you could have cut the tension in the
cabin with a knife, and as I had been allowed to carry sharp
implements onboard, I suppose I could have tried to take the crew
out, had I been that way inclined.

The passengers mutinied and ordered the pilots to return,
which we did, thankfully.

Was there any announcement? No. Why did the pilots take so
long to respond?

We were told later the steering had failed, but one of the
propellers was visibly not working. The pilots and ground staff
would have known this, so why the misinformation?

As it was the first flight of the day you would have thought
the plane would have been checked. And perhaps the engines might
have had a look in, in addition to the mental state of the
pilots?

What kind of nincompoop management runs Merpati?

International rules on air safety should be universal. Why
should the flying public of Indonesia be valued any less? Why
should Merpati get away with running such planes? Why should
passengers have to fly in fear of their lives?

ADRIAN SMITH

Jakarta