Saudi plane damaged due to water cannon at Dubai International Airport

Saturday, April 13, 2019

After a Saudi plane landed at the Dubai International Airport a water cannon salute broke it injuring a passenger.

According to a report into the incident by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the cannon was honouring  Saudi Arabia National Day. It is  a ceremonial gesture in the aviation industry  performed on special occasion like inaugural flight or a final service.

After the plane arrived from Jeddah and taxied towards the terminal, two water cannons were deployed to welcome by the Dubai International Airport.

There were two pilots, five cabin crews and 119 passengers onboard the Airbus A320 aircraft according to the GCAA report and they were unaware a cannon salute was planned.

Jets of water to form an arch across the top of  taxiing plane was formed by two fire engines.

One of the plane’s emergency hatches fell open into the cabin which then automatically deployed the emergency slide.A passenger seated was slightly injured.

The erratic directional movement of the water jet onto the push panel of the left forward over-wing emergency exit hatch, which, when pushed inwards caused the emergency exit hatch opening and falling into the cabin.

 A spokesperson from Dubai Airpors said – the Dubai Airports confirmed that during last year September mechanical failure of the water turret controller on one of its fire trucks resulted in the deployment of an over wing exit chute on an arriving aircraft in September last year.

A thorough inspection of fleets was carried immediately after the incident  with the vehicle manufacturers and regulatory authorities  by the Dubai Airports.  The water salute procedures were reviewed to ensure the fault was nit in evidence elsewhere and prevent any future recurrence.

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