Merpati aircraft aborts flight

Merpati aircraft aborts flight

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: An airliner belonging to Merpati
Nusantara Airlines was forced to returned just minutes after take
off due to engine trouble Saturday.

The plane with 54 people on board landed safely, though it
ended up blocking the runway and disrupting flights throughout
the day.

Several domestic flights could not land at the airport and
some had to change direction and land at airports in Jambi and in
Palembang, South Sumatra, Antara reported. The news agency did
not mention the aircraft's destination.

Head of the Pontianak office of the government-run Angkasa
Pura airport management company Basuki Sukotjo said the airplane
left the airport at 7:35 a.m. but returned back about an hour
later due to a machine malfunction.(imn)