10 years ago

stumbled upon an article in yahoo news ... about sq 006 ten years ago


I owe you girls stories...

10 years ago today... I was a 21 years young girl, flew into Taipei from Los Angeles.  We touched down at at about afternoon time and our set of crew was all excited as it was Halloween, what a great opportunity to partyy!!! So we planned to take a nap and meet in the In flight Supervisor's room after dinner for some get together and to proceed to Hard Rock Cafe which was just next to our hotel.

Few of us girls met up for dinner and returned to our room to get dressed for the party, I remembered I had my TV on while I was putting on my makeup and saw a newsflash on a incident in the airport about our carrier. Calls were coming to my room as I was the unofficial party organizer... on what was up and if there a need to be in the room or not. I made a call my IFS, (my kaki) about the newsflash and on our imminent party plans, if it may be distrupted. Mr IFS answered his phone and turned on the TV (he was playing Chor dai ti with the senior crews), read the newsflash ... told us to go ahead as he didn't receive any calls on it and it may be a burst or missing tyre. (we crew are very optimistic people.. I swear!)

So about 8 of us left for HRC 1st as the other 4-5 was drinking in the room, playing cards and will meet us when the timing is about right (aka High). HRC was starting to get crowded and we met about 2-3 sets of our crew there, so we pooled together since it was Halloween and the occasion to get drunk. While downing and dancing away... the TV in the club (this being HRC, they and their sports channels and MTV) had a news flash and this time it stated 'SQ 006 bursted into flames". We looked at it and was like tail pipe fire maybe ... and continued.

After 30-45 mins later... the program stopped playing and was turned to news... we saw a reporter talking and a new flash that states that the aircraft broke into 3 parts! I swear at that moment I believe all the crew was real shocked, downed our jugs and was deciding if we should wait for the rest to come or go back to watch news. As we were finishing our drinks, it suddenly hit us... then one by one we started to run out of the club... There was about 20 of us running toward the hotel, my set of crew ran straight the IFS's room.

There it was, the room door was open real big, waiting for our arrival.... everyone else was there.

I can still remember the scenes on TV... The crew list was pulled out and there I saw my taiwanese batch girl's name... my heart dropped.

I'm tearing as I'm writing this as it did affect me much till today..

We stayed up the whole night...waiting for news, for calls to come in.. getting frustrated at the lack of information and the release of the crew list. I received calls from Singapore on my situation and I reported back about my safety. I even had calls from my taiwanese friend, my passenger turned good friend... getting all panicky about me.

At about 3-4am, I finally saw my batch gal's name on the safe list... but we were still missing people!! At this point, the fire was almost all extinguished and those whose name wasn't there had the slightest chance. I left the room at about 6am but I could not sleep... at all...I called all the hospitals to get hold of my batch gal...I knew I just had to find her. My Chief called me... he was missing his soccer buddy still, the more I was determined to find her... Every Sq crew didn't sleep that night, each found a crew on that flight to check on their work position and my batch gal and the 2 crew in upper deck was still missing.

I finally found her at 7-ish, for it took the relevant authorities awhile to get back to me. I made that call to her and boy did I cry!!!! She was sobbing so much when she heard my voice! screaming as she reiterated her story to me... had to ask her the inevitable.. where was the 2 crew upper deck with her... she clearly said she was the last to leave that aircraft in upper deck. She couldn't find anyone else..... in the midst of the crying, we arranged to meet up when she was ready the next day.

I then made that call to my chief who cried uncontrollably on the phone, for he was the one to break the news to his wife who entrusted him to find her, her husband. (he by the way had the honor to fly his buddy back).

Staying In Taipei for the next 4 days was torturing, I waited for my other batchmates to arrive to visit my batch girl together. She hasn't slept well and every time she shut her eyes, all she would see was that big ball of fire. That was the last time I saw my batch gal... for she never return to Singapore and stayed un contactable. I believe it hurt her much.....

We flew back after 4 days.. solemn. I sat in my seat, facing the runway, on my right was the debris of the aircraft.. my favourite Jumbo, nicely colored for the 50th anniversary.. totally couldn't control my tears, I believed everyone else too... Though I could still remember the warmth of the passengers on that flight... for they felt that lost too.

I wished I can write on what happen to them on that faithful night, but the chapter is closed. My lips has been shut for the longest time...

and I never celebrated halloween anymore....