Adelaide Sirox Kari – EMTV News,Port Moresby
EMTV News today (04 October,2018) spoke with a survivor from the Air Niugini Chuuk mishap landing.
Bill Jaynes, a Journalist at Kaselehlie Press, the Federated States of Micronesia’s only newspaper, says Air Niugini has not contacted him since the incident.
He says the company’s silence raises many more questions about the flight, as he admitted he was unable to find a life jacket under his seat, and under the next three seats.
Bill Jaynes has flown to Chuuk several times on other airlines; this is the first time Jaynes had decided to fly with Air Niugini.
Jaynes, an American who has based in Pohnpei for the last 18 years as the only Journalist working at the only Newspaper in FSM, says the weather was clear as he recounts what transpired.
As always, when you land on water the first thing you would reach for, is the life Jacket, Jaynes says there were no life jackets under his seat and the next three seats he checked.
Jaynes was sitting at the rear end of the aircraft on the right side, he says on the left side a hole had formed from the impact, with water rushing in.
He also said the flight attendant attending to his section of the aircraft panicked, screamed, and even pushed the passengers.
While Jaynes has repeatedly said he was glad to be alive, his work equipment, two cameras, 4 lenses and other work equipment, is now at the bottom of Chuuk lagoon, with the aircraft.
Jayne’s says he is yet to hear from Air Niugini.
