Man catches plane, forgets to turn off stove

Updated: 2006-09-13 10:16

Pilots of a China Southern Airlines flight made an exception to allow a passenger surnamed Wang to use the satellite telephone after leaving Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on Sunday.

After the plane took off from Shenzhen Airport at about 2 pm, Wang realized he had forgotten to turn off his gas stove, on which he had been cooking soup at home, while trying to catch the flight to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The anxious Wang then told the crew on board that his home would catch fire unless the stove was turned off in time. Pilots had to use the satellite telephone to tell Wang's wife, who was working in a local hospital, to go home to turn off the gas stove. It was the first time pilots had used the satellite telephone service to help a passenger.

Upon reaching Urumqi, Wang learnt from his wife that the stove had been turned off in time, thanks to the call.

Information Times