Passenger On Board El-Al Flight 27 Recounts A Terrifying Experience

Elal Photos Emergency Landing TLS Exclusive picsEXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: El-Al flight 27 from Ben Gurion en-route to Newark, NJ is one flight 279 passengers will never forget, and either will thousands of family members of those on board. All seemed okay when the flight departed, but just a short time after take-off, passengers knew something was wrong – some more than others – before the plane made an emergency landing.

“The plane didn’t go higher then 5,000 feet, that’s how we knew there was a problem”, Lakewood resident Boruch Myer Rosenbaum on board the plane tells TLS. “The noise was very loud!” “The bathroom door which was directly over the landing gear was shaking non stop, had they flown any higher and or any faster the noise would have been unbearable with the gear sticking out”, he recounts.

Some on the plane however, knew it was serious from the earlier on.

“They did mention to the people sitting in the back row about possibly landing on water and will need their help”.

Many on board began saying Tehillim, while thousands of Yidden around the world did the same.

The crew however remained calm he says, while the Yidden returning from Meron put their faith in Hashem, and Reb Shimon Bar Yochais Zchusim

“The people on the plane were calm, the staff were great, I relied on the one above and Reb Shimon, as we say” Kedai Lismoch Ulov!”

After an inspection by fighter jets, landing on the ground was given the all-clear, but not before it dumped its fuel in the sea below.

“As soon as it became light, they flew up 2 fighter planes to check the damage and then decided on landing regularly”.

The flight returned yesterday at 5:25 a.m. to Ben Gurion Airport, where passengers boarded another plane. They landed yesterday afternoon at Newark, NJ.

But some are questioning why El-Al even took off in the first place, as many passengers heard and witnessed a truck bank into the left side of the plane prior to take-off. (See video here).

“A friend of mine actually saw the luggage guy drive by the landing wheels and bump in to it”.

It’s unknown if that incident is being investigated.

(In the photos, you can see (view from plane) as the fire trucks inspect the plane, as the crew inspect the plane, the video screen showing the plane’s route, the passengers coming off the plane, as well as El-Al’s CEO talking to news reporters near the plane).

(Photo credits: Boruch Myer Rosenbaum) TLS.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. I was on the plane with another family member and actually sat a few rows behind Mr. Rosenbaum. It was pretty scary as he described but I actually believe that the people back home who saw pictures of all the ambulances and fire trucks waiting and were following the news on the radio or online were even more terrified than those of us on the plane. We did not knoiw about this massive deployment of emergencey vehicles.

    We were actually shocked at how people were remaining so calm on the plane. There were some people saying Tehilim but most people were just eating, sleeping, shmoozing etc. There wasn’t that feeling of impending disaster. In fact we were never told to prepare for a crash landing. Even the minute before they landed the plane as a whole did not get instruction to prepare for a crash landing. Maybe the zchus of being in EY Lag B’omer gave everyone a strong sense of bitachon. People on the plane were actually shocked to find out when we landed back at Ben Gurion that the whole America was shaken up and saying Tehilim on our behalf. I think this made it more traumatic when people found out how their family members were traumatized and saying Tehilim.

  2. The kiddish will be in kol areah this shabboss iy”h it will be a “yerushalmi style kiddish ” Israely lokshon kugal with plenty black pepper and a pickle on the side !!

  3. The scariest part was when I wanted to ask for an update there wasn’t a flight attendent to be found -they all had gotten together for an emergency meeting to discuss the landing of the plane but otherwise it was Bussines as usual Meals were served drinks were passed out they let us stand around and shmooze and don’t forget El Al pilots are the best out there ! With there yiddishe kop !

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