Incident on VA20 This morning

[Kieran Wells]

Just seen it headline Channel 9 morning news, and now found it on news.com.au. VH-VPH was the plane involved.
From: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/a...-1225997833759

A MOTHER-of-three was forced to hold her children down in their seats to stop them flying around the cabin of a Melbourne- bound V Australia flight when it hit turbulence.

Ambulance crews were called to attend the arrival of flight VA20 fro Phuket in Thailand as it landed at Tullamarine at 7.40am, with a number of passengers suffering injuries.

Michelle Baghdassarian, who was travelling with her three small children, said it was the scariest flight she had been on.

"They may try and say it was turbulence but something was wrong," Ms Baghdassarian said.

"We weren't just going down. The plane was nosediving."

Ms Baghdassarian said she was forced to hold her children in their seats to stop them flying out.

"My daughter said: 'are we landing now mummy', that's what it felt like."

Ms Baghdassarian's father, Garo, said passengers were held on the plane for about 20 minutes while medical checks were carried out onboard.

Passenger Shelley Read said the horror turbulence struck about two hours into the flight.

She said stewards were serving food when one thrown about one foot into the air.

"The trolleys fell on top of the air host, he was pouring my drink and it went everywhere," she said.

"The plane was covered with food. I started thinking had a volcano erupted. It was scary for a minute and then it calmed down.

"I was a little tense for the rest of the flight but luckily it was quite smooth."

Ms Read said at the time of the turbulence the seatbelt sign was turned off so many passengers were caught by surprise.

She said the cabin crew remained seated for about 45 minutes and then normal services resumed.

"I don't want to go through anything like that again," she said.

Ms Read, who was travelling with partner Graeme Ogden, said she was glad the two had landed safely but the experience wouldn't deter her from flying again.

Paramedic team manager Jerome Peyton said a combination of food poisoning and turbulence made some passengers unwell.

"One passenger was suffering food poisoning and was vomiting as a result," Mr Peyton said.

"Others nearby also began to feel ill.

"At about the same time there was reportedly some turbulence experienced during the flight.

"Two flight crew suffered minor injuries as a result. We are told one struck their head, the other fell over and an airline trolley landed on them."

Arriving passengers reported cabin crew members hitting the floor amid screams and flying crockery as turbulence hit.

Ambulance spokesman Paul Bentley said paramedics are still assessing passengers and crew but nobody has yet required hospital treatment.

V Australia spokesman Colin Lippiatt said the flight had experienced "moderate turbulence" north of Jakarta and that a number of people had received "minor" injuries.

[Matt_L]

"We weren't just going down. The plane was nosediving"

Right- so a passenger in the cabin with no idea of flying- can make a comment like that without having an AH or Altimeter in their view.. Incredible.

[Jack B]

I know right? Sounds like severe clear air turbulence, nothing more.

Which reg was the aircraft on the flight?

[Nigel C]

Re-read the very first line of the first post Jack...there's a hint there

[Jayden Laing]

"They may try and say it was turbulence but something was wrong," Ms Baghdassarian said.

What a load of s**t. Someone obviously hasn't flown before & experienced turbulence or even flown in a turboprop.

[Dave Dale]

Originally Posted by Kieran Wells

Just seen it headline Channel 9 morning news, and now found it on news.com.au. VH-VPH was the plane involved.
From: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/a...-1225997833759

"We weren't just going down. The plane was nosediving."

Sounds like those old war movies...

[steve k]

what a classic, FOOD POISONING!!! yeah right, try motion sickness, might be closer to reality. Food poisoning is extremely rare in the Airline Catering Game, I know the stringent regime having come from the industry, what other crap comments can they come up with to glorify a severe turbulence issue!!???

[Andrew P]

good to see the Virgin lovers are out in force

[Dan Collins]

"They may try and say it was turbulence but something was wrong," Ms Baghdassarian said.

That has to be the most obnoxious line to come from a passenger who was obviously more involved with holding down her three children than knowing what was happening in the cockpit. I'd assume she would've had an aisle seat if she had to look after all those, and possibly sitting in the middle of the aircraft with a very limited view outside!

At least it wasn't a Qantas plane this time!

Dan

[Kelvin R]

Perhaps CASA should legislate that seatbelts must be loosely fastened at all times PAX are seated? I would hate for AU based airlines to start getting like US airlines who leave the seatbelt sign on all the time just in case of turbulance.