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Update: An earlier version of this story referred to the incident at Sydney Airport as an ’emergency’ landing. The Leader has since learned the event was a ‘priority’ landing and comments from Qantas have been added.
A packed passenger plane headed to Tamworth has had to make a priority landing after a mid-air scare.
The QantasLink service from Sydney to Tamworth was forced to turn around on the night of Friday, December 1, after an issue was discovered mid-flight.
A Qantas spokesperson said emergency services attended the Sydney Airport runway at about 8pm on Friday as QF2008 made a priority landing.
“One of our flights to Tamworth returned to Sydney on Friday night after pilots received a cockpit notification of a potential mechanical issue,” the spokesperson said.
“The pilots requested a priority landing into Sydney and the aircraft landed safely and normally. As is the case for all priority landings, emergency services were on standby but were not required.”
Passengers told the Leader the pilot said they had discovered a “hydraulic leak” during the flight to the country music capital and were forced to return to Sydney to make a safe landing.
In an announcement after the safe touchdown, the pilot told passengers he had only performed the difficult manoeuvre once in his career during a flight simulation.
No one was injured in the emergency but it saw the flight cancelled and dozens of passengers stranded in Sydney.
Frustrated passengers told the Leader Qantas offered Cabcharge vouchers to get to a destination for the night before they were reallocated to two different mid-morning flights the following day.
“Unfortunately due to the late hour the flight was then cancelled. Passengers were given meal and accommodation vouchers, and re-accommodated onto the next available flights,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
The cancellation of the flight also sparked chaos at Tamworth airport the next morning as there was no plane available for the usually-packed Saturday 6.30am service to Sydney.
It’s the second time in as many years a technical issue has caused the Qantas flight from Sydney to turn around for an early landing.
Originally from Austin, TX. "I wasn't born in Tamworth but I got here as soon as I could!" Jonathan covers a little bit of everything, but his main priorities are Tamworth Regional Council, Business, and Property. Send story tips to Jonathan via jonathan.hawes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Originally from Austin, TX. "I wasn't born in Tamworth but I got here as soon as I could!" Jonathan covers a little bit of everything, but his main priorities are Tamworth Regional Council, Business, and Property. Send story tips to Jonathan via jonathan.hawes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
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