About 30 seconds after NZ993 began its take-off roll along the runway at Samoa\u2019s main airport, the brakes were applied and the flaps extended, slowing the 787 before it could become airborne.<\/p>\n
The captain could then be heard over the tannoy saying, \u201cCabin crew remain seated, wait for instructions,\u201d before Emily\u2019s footage ended.<\/p>\n
Al Ronberg later posted the video to Instagram, where it\u2019s been watched more than 50,000 times in three days.<\/p>\n
The only abnormal thing before take-off was the \u201ccrazy rain\u201d, Ronberg said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was all just normal take-off and then all of a sudden it felt like we\u2019d hit something because the brakes are so, so hard. I was like, \u2019Oh my gosh, there\u2019s a cow on the runway or something\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes were on his kids, but Emily saw other passengers going into the brace position, the dad-of-three said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were thrown forward in the seats \u2013 it\u2019s quite amazing how when you put your brakes on in the car, it\u2019s exaggerated, but in the plane you definitely get thrown forward a little bit. But people were pretty calm \u2026 there was no screaming or yelling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen it was just the very cool, calm, collected cabin crew [telling us] \u2018Please stay seated till further instructions\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ronberg family were among hundreds on an Air NZ Dreamliner when take-off was aborted in Apia on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The captain then spoke to everyone on the flight, which Ronberg said was almost full.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was really good, real clear \u2026 [he said] \u2018There was a warning sign and we\u2019ve had to reject take-off\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The plane returned to the airport\u2019s parking apron<\/a> where a fire crew monitored the aircraft until the brakes cooled down, Ronberg said.<\/p>\n Passengers waited on board for about two hours until the flight was cleared to take off again \u2013 some applauding as it left the ground \u2013 but were well looked after, with water available, the crew taking details of those with connecting flights, and everyone kept up to date, Ronberg said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t sort of clueless. The pilot would tell us things we needed to know, where it was at.\u201d<\/p>\n Passengers weren\u2019t, however, told how close the 787 had been to V1, the \u201cpoint of no return\u201d speed at which pilots must make their final take-off decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI [was] sitting there thinking, \u2018Man, that must have come real close \u2013 and I\u2019m glad they could stop before they didn\u2019t have any other options\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n