Fire crews surround Virgin Blue plane

[Russell D]

Breaking news from Yahoo7: (Note: Details are limited atm as the story breaking news)

Fire crews surround Virgin Blue plane
October 11, 2008, 12:39 am

Fire crews have surrounded a Virgin Blue aircraft on the runway at Gold Coast airport.

Details are unclear but it was believed the plane may have landed with an engine problem.

(More to follow)

[Kurt A]

A Virgin Blue aircraft suffered a duck strike on roll out earlier today. It severed the hydraulic lines leaving the craft with nil nose wheel steering.

- Bloody duck!

[Bruce Bramwell]

Poor Duck!

[Lukas M]

Seemed to be a big flock. If you have been out to Cooly, especially down under Rwy14 approach (at the end of that one way road viewing area), the Ibis, and many other species seem to be using the airport as their habitat, as I supose its grasslands are attractive. Certianly Ibis Territory...
From the Courier Mail
" VIRGIN Blue jet airliner has been grounded on the Gold Coast - by a wayward flock of ducks which collided with the plane in mid-air.The mid-air bird strike on the Boeing 737 aircraft, which was flying from Sydney to Coolangatta with 160 passengers on board, sparked an emergency scare at Gold Coast Airport earlier today.
A Virgin spokeswoman said the plane was landing about 11.30am when it was hit by a suspected flock of ducks.
One report said the strike had sparked a fire but the spokeswoman denied this and said the aircraft had landed normally.
``There was no fire but the airport fire crews were called in as a precaution,'' she said.
``The bird strike impacted on the hyrdaulic lines in front nose-wheel and the aircraft was towed (to the terminal).''
The spokeswoman said the return flight to Sydney was cancelled and passengers put on other flights.
``Bird strikes are not an everyday occurrence but they do happen from time to time,'' she said.
Special cannons are used at Gold Coast Airport to scare away ibises, which are in plague proportion on the coast."