Passengers stuck on Qantas A380 after aborted take-off

[Joe Frampton]

More great news for Qantas... sigh... :(


Qantas passengers stuck on board an A380 for more than four hours at Melbourne Airport have been told the flight will not take off due to the crew on-duty time limits, passengers report.
The Airbus superjumbo carrying 450 passengers reportedly aborted take-off earlier today due to a problem with its fuel gauges.
As the plane gathered speed down the runway, about 10 seconds into the dash, the pilots decided to abort the take-off.
A passenger on board the plane told Traveller that the captain made an announcement saying that the fuel readouts were not providing correct information.
It was a recurrence of an earlier problem that delayed the plane and was thought to have been remedied before the plane taxied on to the runway, the passenger said.
The flight, QF93, was scheduled to leave Melbourne at midday for Los Angeles.
After the take-off was aborted, the plane taxied off the runway for mechanical checks.
Passengers were told that could not disembark because of the heightened security procedures for flights going to the US. They were told it was not feasible to disembark 450 passengers and re-screen them for a second time.
The delay has now stretched so long that the flight will no longer be able to take off due to the crew exceeding their permitted on-duty hours, passengers have reported.
One passenger said travellers were "very unhappy" at being stuck in the plane for hours and that onward travel plans were now in disarray.
Qantas has yet to advise passengers when they’ll be allowed to get off the plane.
Traveller is seeking confirmation of the passenger's account from Qantas.
Last month the US Federal Government introduced new regulations that ordered airlines to allow passengers to disembark after three hours if a flight was delayed on the tarmac.
Source: theage.com.au

[Jason H]

Aircraft was VH-OQE......it has only flown 6 commerical flights :S

[Andrew M]

It appears that the crew ran out of hours so the flight is now delayed until 11am tomorrow (Tuesday).

How long were passengers held on the plane for all up I wonder ?

[James Smith]

Wouldn't QANTAS have a back up A380 crew on standby in Melbourne or flown a crew from Sydney? Alternatively, assuming the fuel gauge problem was fixed, couldn't they have flown the plane to Sydney where a standby crew could have operated the flight with less delay than 23 hours?

It will be interesting to hear what QANTAS has to say.

[Sarmad Al-Khozaie]

All A380 Seem the faulty fuel Gauge on all new birds even ones acquired by SQ, EK from airbus.

[Adam.S]

I thought this was the case too, so by now isn't there a 'standard' repair job procedure for the maintenance crews to follow?
Perhaps they did use this 'standard' approach, but maybe this problem was a little more complex then the others of the past as the problem was apparently 'fixed' the first time around, (after take off atempt#1) but reappeared on take off attempt#2. :confused:

[Nils Kenny]

QF-012 Today 05 Jan was a No-Show and it was due to be a A380 from Los Angeles. From what I can see it left Los Angeles on time and then returned 2 Hours later and now isn't due into Sydney till tomorrow 6 January 2010. If this is the Case QANTAS might have a problem with A380 later in the week. Only because 2 Aircraft are 2 Days behind schedule.

[Andrew P]

Hi Friends,

Unfortunately our plane from LA was delayed last night and we have been holed up in a hotel all day. Hopefully we will get off the ground tonight.



an email I Just received from a friend booked out of LAX

Banjo

[Andrew M]

QF-012 Today 05 Jan was a No-Show and it was due to be a A380 from Los Angeles. From what I can see it left Los Angeles on time and then returned 2 Hours later and now isn't due into Sydney till tomorrow 6 January 2010. If this is the Case QANTAS might have a problem with A380 later in the week. Only because 2 Aircraft are 2 Days behind schedule.

Yes the Wednesday MEL-LAX departure is going to be a problem.

744 time for those expecting the A380..

Fun times :eek:

[Philip Argy]

If I were QF and other carriers I'd be starting to get a bit weary of the A380 teething troubles. It's such a beautiful aircraft to fly and be flown in, these niggling issues are really infuriating and lose a lot of goodwill for the airlines which is hard to get back

[Andrew M]

Yes, but everyone keeps saying the introduction of the A380 has gone alot smoother than the 747, I wasn't around for the 747 introduction.....

The flight today also left 90 mins later than scheduled... Who knows why it could have been passengers trying to make it back to the airport or something totally difference.

What is made worse with any A380 delays:
Lots of passengers are excited with the A380 and they expect it to be on their route.

When the plane is substituted for a 744, it's a pretty big downgrade

When expectations are high and they are not met, it's hard to repair that damage.


I will defend Qantas for keeping passengers in the plane yesterday for MEL-LAX. Yes they were kept on board for up to 5 hours in the end, but I assume they thought they could fix the problem, so rather than starting to get people off, then have to re-screen them, they kept them onboard.

No idea why the LAX-SYD A380 but a poster on a.net suggests a brake problem. Plane left the gate, taxied, stopped, then taxied back to the gate..

[Andrew M]

Interesting to note that on my 2 flights on the A380, both were delayed due to faulty equipment on the aircraft.

1st time Broken fridge in first class
2nd time 2 x toilets in-operable

[Grahame Hutchison]

VH-OQE is on its way to LA now as QF93D (delayed from yesterday), closely followed by today's QF93 flight operated by B747 VH-OEI. OQE is at FL330 and OEI at FL330.

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/QF93D.jpg

[Mike W]

744 time for those expecting the A380..

Fun times :eek:

Under the circumstances, that's a good thing. :cool:

[Mike W]

If I were QF and other carriers I'd be starting to get a bit weary of the A380 teething troubles.

Not to mention the 330s... :mad:

[Bob C]

When a new type enters service with an airline, does the manufacturer provide engineering and other technical support at the airline's home base - ie would Airbus personnel be based in Sydney to assist QANTAS engineers solve any problems as they arise ?

[Jason H]

VH-OQA was the QF12 aircraft involved

[Daniel F]

would Airbus personnel be based in Sydney to assist QANTAS engineers solve any problems as they arise ?

I was on both the SQ and QF inaugural flights and if I recall correctly there were Airbus engineers on both flights.

I have flown on the A380 7 times and have not experienced any major flight delays.

[Greg Hyde]

Was this OQE first revenue service ?

[Dan Hammond]

Hi Greg,

OQE's first flight was QF31 SYD-SIN-LHR, so no it wasnt its first

[Jason H]

today's QF93D was OQE's 7th revenue flight

[Adam.S]

Lots of passengers are excited with the A380 and they expect it to be on their route.

When the plane is substituted for a 744, it's a pretty big downgradeI was suprised that Qantas managed to find a 'spare' A380 for today's 'scheduled' QF93 out of Melbourne.
Wednesday's QF93 is a scheduled A380 service, however after Monday's 24 hour delay of OQE and the delay at LAX with OQA; I thought they would have needed to use a B744.
Somehow the have pinched OQC for todays service out of Melbourne, not sure if this means QF31 or QF11 out of Sydney today will be effected in someway?


Imagine if these A380 'delays' occured to OQB on New Years Eve.
What would happen then, they couldn't simply "try again tomorrow" !

[Greg Hyde]

thanks for the info.

Isn't OQF sitting in Toulouse waiting delivery ?

When is it due and first run ?

[Jason H]

Greg, OQF is due on Sunday arvo when I last checked, not sure if it still is due then.

Adam, OQA operated QF11 today, after its delay out of LAX on the 3rd (departed 4th), and QF31 is not a scheduled A380, so i think Qantas just got out of this one :D

[Edward Terry]

would Airbus personnel be based in Sydney to assist QANTAS engineers solve any problems as they arise ?

Bob, yes, Airbus does have an engineering presence at the Jet Base.

[Marty H]

Had a QF A380 arrive in MEL at 2030 and is currently parked at D16 as the delayed QF94 OQE is the rego

[Adam.S]

Adam, OQA operated QF11 today, after its delay out of LAX on the 3rd (departed 4th), and QF31 is not a scheduled A380, so i think Qantas just got out of this one :D

Thanks Jason.