Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Airport officials who testified at the Senate Transportation Committee hearing yesterday were told in no uncertain terms that it was complacency and negligence that caused their late response to the incident involving a Talofa Airways aircraft moving forward on its nose after landing at the Pago Pago International Airport on July 21, 2024.

Talofa Airways Flight 511 was flying in from Faleolo International Airport, Samoa to Pago, touching down at the Tafuna airport at around 1:30pm on Sunday.

According to one of the eight passengers on the aircraft at the time of the accident, about five seconds after the front wheel touched down, they heard a loud bang and the next thing they knew, the plane was moving forward on its nose with sparks flying backward on both sides as metal came into contact with the runway.

The disgruntled passenger had nothing but praise for the pilot who successfully maneuvered the plane preventing it from flipping over. But he was very disappointed with the airport’s response to their predicament.

He told Samoa News that he had tracked the time from when they had managed to exit the plane to the time the airport first responders arrived.

According to him, it took exactly 22 minutes before a small four-door sedan with a trailer attached at the back that had luggage on it, arrived.

Testifying at the Senate Transportation Committee hearing yesterday was Acting Director of Ports Administration Tumua Matu’u, Airport Manager Tavita Fuimaono, Airport Safety Manager Aluese Te’i, Airport Fire Chief Vaisa Ulula Simeavao and Talofa Airways Manager & CEO Jeffrey Hunter.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean was the first to question the witnesses and he cut to the chase by saying that the committee was not concerned about what happened that caused the accident, but what the airport first responders were doing in the 22 minutes after the accident happened.

“The passengers waited for 22 minutes, where were the first responders?” Tuaolo asked Airport Manager Tavita Fuimaono. “If the aircraft had gone up in flames and lives were lost, what would you have done? Where were you?”

Fuimaono replied that he had explained everything that transpired in his report and that the main reason why they were slow to respond was because they did not know about the accident at the exact time it happened and they had not been alerted by the pilot that an accident had happened.

The airport manager emphasized that the regulations as mentioned in his report require that the pilot alert them that an accident has occurred and the fire and rescue team would immediately respond.

Tuaolo asked if the usual procedure does not require an airport fire and rescue truck or vehicle on standby near the runway to monitor all aircraft landings in case an accident happens.

Fuimaono replied that according to the procedure, the airport fire and rescue crew should be on standby at the station.

Tuaolo asked where they were on that day and Fuimaono said they were on standby at the station.

“Doing what at the station?” Tuaolo asked.

Fuimaono answered that they were listening to the radio monitoring the aircraft landings and he again stressed that the pilot has to alert them of an accident occurring.

Airport Fire and Emergency Chief Vaisa Ulula Simeavao then reiterated that FAA regulations clearly state that fire and emergency vehicles or personnel should not be on any part of the runway unless they are alerted by a pilot that an accident has occurred.

"This is because the runway is 'active' and the only person that can activate us into performing our mandated duties, is the pilot who alerts us that an accident has occurred," Vaisa explained. "Then and only then, can we intervene."

"So are you saying even after more than 20 minutes the pilot, for whatever reason, has not alerted you of an accident occurring, you will not respond?" Tuaolo asked.

"The problem in this particular case is that the pilot did not do what he was supposed to do in a situation like this, which was to alert us immediately that an accident had occurred," Vaisa reiterated.

"Under FAA regulations, the pilot should have sounded the alarm within three minutes of the accident happening. If we had been alerted immediately, we would have been at the site of the accident within one minute because it is not far from the station.

Talofa Airways Manager and CEO Hunter then explained that the circumstances which led to the accident that day occurred suddenly, as opposed to other cases where technical failures are identified by the pilot while the aircraft is still airborne, and he alerts the emergency services personnel so they can be on standby when the aircraft lands.

Hunter pointed out that when the aircraft's front gave way and it slid forward on its nose, the pilot's priority was to keep the plane from flipping over and make sure the passengers were safe.

He conceded that the pilot was only human and when one is in a situation like this, he will do what he deems is the right thing to do and forget what he learned in training to do in times of emergencies.

"In this case, the pilot knew there was a danger of a fire happening which is why he immediately turned off the engines and all electrical systems in the plane, which also made it impossible to alert emergency services," Hunter explained.

He then also clarified that they had reviewed airport footage of the accident and it was about two to three minutes before their company vehicle arrived at the scene, and about six to seven minutes before the airport emergency services vehicle arrived.

Tuaolo asked the fire and emergency chief if they could see the aircraft from their station and he answered that there were two parts of the runway where aircraft land which is where the Hawaiian Airlines usually lands, and the area adjacent to where the McDonald's is located.

He did not state if the site of the accident was visible from their station.

Committee Chairman Malaepule Saite Moliga intervened and pointed out that it looked like the airport fire and emergency chief was using the FAA regulations as an excuse for their late response.

Malaepule said they should be standing by somewhere near the runway where they can observe and monitor every aircraft landing in case an accident occurs, not lounging around at their station waiting for the pilot to alert them to an emergency.

An emotional Senator Magalei then gave an account of the first accident also involving a Talofa Airways aircraft returning from Samoa, which he and his four sisters experienced as passengers.

He expressed his disappointment at what the traveling public is exposed to because of incompetent employees whose services will make a difference in a life-or-death situation.

Magalei said that in his many travels overseas, every time the plane lands, fire and emergency personnel are always on standby. But they are saying that they only be on standby when a pilot of an incoming aircraft alerts them of an emergency.

"Isn't that your responsibility? To monitor aircraft landings in case of an emergency? Or do you wait until an emergency does occur and lives are lost before you move into action?" Magalei asked. "It doesn't make sense to me! So what are you going to do when you get there and people have died? You should be alert and preemptive in your actions. Not react after the fact!"

Magalei recounted their experience during the first Talofa Airways accident where the exact thing occurred saying they were inside the aircraft for a long time before it was opened from the outside by former Governor Lutali's son who used to work at the airport.

He said they then walked from the site of the accident to the terminal and like this latest incident, the airport fire and emergency were nowhere in sight immediately after the accident.

"And all you can say is the FAA regulations prohibit you from being on the runway? Can you not be somewhere near the runway just to make sure the planes land safely and if an accident does occur, you will be there to help?" an incensed Magalei asked.

"There is no excuse! I am not happy with what you're saying. If a relative of yours was a passenger wouldn't you feel like I'm feeling? Let me remind you, you are not paid by the FAA. You are paid with local revenue."

Senator Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono echoed his sentiments saying that the fire end emergency division should have a visual monitor so they can see when an aircraft is approaching to land.

Soliai also asked Talofa Airways manager Hunter if the problem with the aircraft's front wheel could be detected by the pilot while still in the air.

Hunter explained that the problem can be detected by the pilot but only when it was in the process of landing and the front wheel will not come out because of some technical glitch.

He said that they are investigating the problem and the FAA is involved in their investigations.

Senator Utu Sila Poasa pointed out that the fire and emergency personnel should have monitored the aircraft when it was landing.

He argued they should have had the arrival times of all incoming flights so they should have been aware that Talofa Airways Flight 511 was supposed to arrive at a certain time and should be parked where the passengers disembark at a certain time.

"You should be able to see from your station where the accident occurred. If 10 to 20 minutes have passed and it's still not there, you should know that something's gone wrong," Utu reasoned.

Senator Satele Lili'o asked when the aircraft were built and how many trips one aircraft made in a day.

Hunter replied that the aircraft were built in 1978 and each aircraft serving the Samoa- American Samoa route makes six to eight trips a day.

Satele pointed out that maybe the Talofa Airways aircraft were too old and should be replaced and that the number of trips a day was only adding to the problems they were experiencing.

Hunter replied that his company's three aircraft were still in good condition and the maintenance was thorough. He also pointed out that the age of the aircraft was the same as the Samoa Airways aircraft.

Satele then addressed the airport officials saying that he noticed from the beginning of the hearing that they were using FAA regulations to justify their late response.

Senator Muagututi'a was blunt in his statements.

"What happened before has now happened again. If God forbid, it happens again, there will be lives lost," he prophesied.

He told the Talofa Airways manager that six to eight trips a day was too much for the engines.

He said when the human body is subjected to strenuous activity, it heats up and needs a lot of rest. Senator Muagututi'a said this is the same with aircraft engines. He advised Hunter to take this into serious consideration because people's lives were at stake.

Senator Uti asked why there was no co-pilot and Hunter answered that aircraft with nine or less passengers can be controlled by only one pilot and that pilots are required to have a full physical examination twice a year.

The absence of an air traffic control tower at the airport was brought up by Senate President Tuaolo who stated that it was something the government should look into to improve air safety.

Committee Chairman Malaepule pointing to what the passenger said in response time, noted that whether it took 8 or 20 — that’s still late for first responders, as what by then the plane could have caught fire or exploded.

He then said that the Senate is concerned about the safety and welfare of the the public and therefore  first responders service must be improved to the traveling public.

Airport Fire and Emergency Chief Vaisa Ulula Simeavao thanked senators and conceded that a lot of improvement should be made in their services and that they will take the senators' advice to heart.