Flight SCAT Airlines on the route Almaty — Shymkent was unable to land immediately in Shymkent due to a sudden deterioration in weather conditions. The crew decided to divert to the alternate airport in Taraz, where the aircraft waited for about an hour and a half for the weather to improve.
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE FLIGHT
As reported by one of the passengers on the social network Threads, the flight was scheduled for 22:50, but it was first delayed by 30 minutes, and then by another 30 minutes. As a result, takeoff occurred around 00:00.
"About 15 minutes before landing, the weather suddenly worsened. A severe thunderstorm began, with lightning flashing. At first, we even started filming what was happening, not realising the seriousness of the situation," the post states.
According to her account, the aircraft entered an area of severe turbulence and experienced significant shaking for approximately 15 minutes, which caused concern among the passengers.
WHY THE AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTED TO TARAZ
At the airline SCAT Airlines, they reported that during the approach to landing at Shymkent Airport, there was a sudden deterioration in weather conditions. According to the carrier, there was an increase in wind with gusts of up to 24 m/s, thunderstorm activity, heavy rain and probable wind shear.
In connection with this, the flight crew decided to divert to the alternate airport in Taraz. The aircraft arrived in the city at approximately 02:00.
PASSENGER REACTION
It is noted that some of the people on board had a difficult time during the flight in turbulent conditions. Some passengers were crying and praying, while others tried to remain calm. The cabin crew urged everyone not to panic and reported that the situation was under control.
The passengers were informed that the aircraft had landed in Taraz only after landing. At the airport, they waited for about an hour, after which the airline organised a re-flight to Shymkent.
According to eyewitnesses, almost half of the passengers refused to continue the flight after the stress they had endured. The remaining passengers flew to Shymkent after the weather conditions improved.
CONTEXT
It is worth recalling that in May, an Air Astana aircraft, operating flight Astana — Frankfurt, made a landing in Aktobe after one of its engines failed in the air. The crew issued a PAN-PAN urgency signal and landed the aircraft safely. Later, the Ministry of Transport classified the incident as a serious aviation occurrence.
