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| QANTAS A330-202 VH-EBC (CN 0506) File Photo |
Qantas passengers were forced to evacuate their plane via emergency slides after their aircraft was forced to turn around due to a hydraulic problem that caused the cabin to fill with a thick haze.
QF575, a Sydney to Perth flight operated by an Airbus A330-200 with up to 271 passengers, took off at 8:45am on Sunday morning from runway 34L. 20 minutes after take off the captain received an alert from one of the plane's hydraulic systems and a decision was made to return to Sydney. He turned the plane around and the aircraft touched down on 34L at 9.27am without declaring an emergency.
"Once the aircraft was back on the gate there were reports of a thick haze in the cabin, likely caused by hydraulic fluid entering the air conditioning unit," a Qantas spokesman said in a statement.
"While customers may have thought it was smoke, there was no fire."
The captain ordered an evacuation in response. One woman told ABC News that when the plane reached the gate "everything was fine". "And the next thing, he [the captain] goes: 'Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate'. In a calm but firm, loud voice," the woman said. "I thought there was smoke or fire or something and I was relatively close to the back of the plane," she said. "The hostess opened the door, bang, the chute comes out and everyone starts rushing into the aisle, not like panic rush, but make haste." The Qantas spokesman said up to five passengers were treated by NSW Ambulance officers after they were injured using the escape slides and taken to hospital. Other passengers complained of sore eyes and itchy throats but did not require treatment, the spokesman said. Qantas fleet safety Captain Debbie Slade said the hydraulic system at issue affects "the landing controls and flaps on the aircraft". She thanked passengers for co-operating with the flight crew during a "a very unusual and probably alarming experience". "We’ll investigate exactly what happened, including liaising with Airbus, before this aircraft is returned to service," Captain Slade said. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed it was investigating the incident and Qantas said its engineers were inspecting the plane. Some Qantas flights have been delayed as a result of the incident. "The airline extends its thanks to all customers for their patience and understanding," the spokesman said.
Aircraft Details
Airline: QANTAS
Code: QF / QFA
Aircraft: Airbus A330-202
Registration: VH-EBC
Serial Number: 0506
Age: 16 Yrs
Story sourced from here (with additions)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/passengers-evacuated-from-qantas-flight-after-a-hydraulic-issue-at-sydney-airport-20191215-p53k3s.html
The captain ordered an evacuation in response. One woman told ABC News that when the plane reached the gate "everything was fine". "And the next thing, he [the captain] goes: 'Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate'. In a calm but firm, loud voice," the woman said. "I thought there was smoke or fire or something and I was relatively close to the back of the plane," she said. "The hostess opened the door, bang, the chute comes out and everyone starts rushing into the aisle, not like panic rush, but make haste." The Qantas spokesman said up to five passengers were treated by NSW Ambulance officers after they were injured using the escape slides and taken to hospital. Other passengers complained of sore eyes and itchy throats but did not require treatment, the spokesman said. Qantas fleet safety Captain Debbie Slade said the hydraulic system at issue affects "the landing controls and flaps on the aircraft". She thanked passengers for co-operating with the flight crew during a "a very unusual and probably alarming experience". "We’ll investigate exactly what happened, including liaising with Airbus, before this aircraft is returned to service," Captain Slade said. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed it was investigating the incident and Qantas said its engineers were inspecting the plane. Some Qantas flights have been delayed as a result of the incident. "The airline extends its thanks to all customers for their patience and understanding," the spokesman said.
Aircraft Details
Airline: QANTAS
Code: QF / QFA
Aircraft: Airbus A330-202
Registration: VH-EBC
Serial Number: 0506
Age: 16 Yrs
Story sourced from here (with additions)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/passengers-evacuated-from-qantas-flight-after-a-hydraulic-issue-at-sydney-airport-20191215-p53k3s.html
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