Billy was extremely overjoyed. He had just got his SPM examination results and he scored straight A's. His parents promised to take him to Taiwan for holidays if he passed the public examination with flying colours.
Billy's parents kept their promise. A week later, they were at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport to catch an aeroplane to Taiwan. Billy was excited as it was his first overseas trip. Furthermore, it was his first flight. After checking in at the counter, they proceeded to the departure lounge. They waited for about an hour before boarding the aeroplane.
On the aeroplane, Billy was lucky to have a window seat. Fifteen minutes later, the aeroplane started to take off. As the aeroplane soared into the air, Billy looked out through the window. He could see the buildings and people on the ground getting smaller and smaller. Not long after, the aeroplane was flying above the clouds. The jungle below resembled a giant green carpet.
When the aeroplane was flying over the Philippines, all of a sudden, there was a mechanical failure and smoke was seen emerging from one of the engine nacelles. Billy, his parents and many other passengers started to panic. Some passengers screamed out of fear.
"Ladies and gentleman, please calm down," the captain announced. "Due to technical problems, we'll have to make an emergency landing on a coastal road of the Philippines. Please take out the life jackets under your seats and put them on. After that, remember to relax, stay calm and keep your seats upright."
All the passengers did as told. A benign stewardess helped Billy and his parents to put on the life jackets. Some passengers prayed while the others closed their eyes in silence. A few children cried. Billy was afraid so his parents comforted him.
Soon, the aircraft landed on a road near to a beach. Fortunately, it was a suburban area and not much traffic was on the road. Motorists were able to dodge the aeroplane in time on seeing it.
Upon landing safely, the passengers heaved out sighs of relief.
"Ladies and gentleman, we have landed safely. However, we are still in danger as the aircraft is still carrying a large amount of fuel. Please evacuate from the aeroplane instantly using all the usable exits."
After the captain's announcement, the crew members opened all the exits, including the emergency ones. The passengers then took turns sliding down the evacuation slides. When all the passengers had alighted from the aeroplane, the captain led them to a safe place away from the aircraft. As they were leaving the scene, the aeroplane burst into flames. Fortunately, when the plane exploded, they were some distance away. Though they were safe, they could still feel the intense heat of the explosion.
Soon, the Filipino authorities came to their assistance. Although Billy and his family were upset because they had lost their belongings and were unable to visit Taiwan, they were glad and thankful to have escaped from death. It was indeed a narrow escape that Billy would not forget as long as he lived.