hate to be the bearer of bad news...
not sure how passengers onboard can see oil leaking on to the runway, x-ray vision perhaps?
Quote:
Workers stranded while Qantas fixes plane
15th August 2008, 6:45 WST
Miners on their week off work were delayed for more than five hours at Karratha airport yesterday evening after yet another technical fault in a Qantas 737.
Michael Mech, a contractor with Rio Tinto, said fly-in fly-out workers were starting to get angry because of a series of delayed flights to and from the mining town.
“A 737 800 was spewing oil on the runway and 150 guys waiting had to go back to their camps on their week off,” he said.
“We have been having a fair few delays lately, it happened early last week as well… it is getting ridiculous. Some of these guys missed connecting flights to Sydney and Melbourne. How many things have to happen before the aviation authorities do something about this?”
Mr Mech said witnesses on board the plane as it landed had seen oil leaking on to the runway.
“At Karratha airport the planes have to turn around at the end of the runway and taxi back, a couple of people on board said they saw a trail of something up to where the plane was. It was about 4.30pm. Sure enough the flight to Perth using the same plane was cancelled. Other airlines have been grounded for this kind of thing… Do we have to wait for one of these 737s to drop out of the air?”
A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed that the flight, QF915, was delayed because of a mechanical problem and engineers had to be flown in from Perth to make repairs but said she could not comment on the details of the fault.
“A replacement 737 has been arranged and will depart at 11.30pm,” she said yesterday evening.
Originally scheduled to arrive in Perth at 7pm, the substitute flight was expected to land at 1.25 this morning.
Mr Mech said the waiting passengers worked for various mining operations in the area.
“We are not very happy I can tell you,” he said.
GIOVANNI TORRE
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http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=91506