- The bizarre incident involving a Garuda aircraft unfolded at Tambolaka Airport
- Around 20 men were seen slowly pushing the plane in direction of the terminal
- Social media users suggested plane broke down and passengers forced to help
- Garuda Indonesia’s public relations manager soon put an end to the speculation
Technicians and airport employees have been captured in a viral photo pushing a 35,000 kilogram plane along an Indonesian runway.
The bizarre incident involving a Garuda Indonesia aircraft is believed to have unfolded at Tambolaka Airport in the province of East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday.
Around 20 men were seen slowly pushing the plane backwards in the direction of the terminal as passengers on board filmed the pandemonium.
Social media users suggested the plane had broken down and passengers were forced to help, but the airline soon put an end to the speculation.
Technicians and airport employees have been captured in this viral photo pushing a 35,000 kilogram plane along an Indonesian runway
Around 20 men were seen slowly pushing the plane backwards in the direction of the terminal
Garuda’s public relations manager Ikhsan Rosan revealed the pilots took a wrong turn after landing and became stuck.
‘After the plane landed, it should have turned left towards the apron [parking area]. The plane missed [the turn] slightly,’ he said, according to Detik.
‘There was no pushback available, the thing that pushes and tugs aeroplanes back. So it was pushed by technicians and employees at the airport.
‘Everything is running smoothly… Everything is fine,’ he reportedly concluded.
The CRJ1000 aircraft has a maximum landing weight of 36,968 kilograms.
This image was taken from inside the terminal as the men pushed the plane back into position after the pilots took a wrong turn