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