Melbourne airport at standstill
From seven.com.au
Melbourne airport at standstill
Date: 26/10/05
A Thai Airways jet has blown several tyres upon landing at Melbourne airport, which has been brought to a standstill.
The plane was stranded at the intersection of two runways at the airport, said a spokesman for air traffic control agency Airservices Australia.
The Airbus A340 "landed heavily" and "damaged a number of wheels on landing", the spokesman told AAP.
"There was a small fire in the undercarriage," he said.
Planes are being diverted to Adelaide and Avalon airports for the time being and engineers are looking at the under-carriage to see whether the plane can be towed.
So far, 12 planes had been diverted from the airport or delayed.
And various other media:
Passenger jet landing scare
By Paul Colgan and AAP
26oct05
MELBOURNE airport was shut to all traffic for nearly two hours today after the tyres blew out on a Thai Airways jet when it landed in a strong crosswind.
Thai Airways Flight 981 from Bangkok came to a halt on the intersection between the two runways at Australia\'s second-busiest airport.
The Airbus A340 has now been moved to a taxiway and the airport has opened for business again.
No passengers were injured but the airport was forced to divert all traffic to Avalon and Adelaide airports.
A spokesman for the Air Transport Safety Bureau said the plane shredded three tyres on its main landing gear after landing heavily.
"There was a strong crosswind," the spokesman said.
ATSB officials are likely to conduct an investigation.
A Melbourne Airport spokeswoman said there was a possibility the hydraulics of the aircraft had been damaged in the landing.
Passengers had been safely escorted into the terminal afterwards, she said.
The aircraft was stranded at the intersection of two runways at the airport and air traffic controllers reported a small fire in the undercarriage as it landed on Runway 16.
"There was a small fire in the undercarriage," he said. At least 12 planes were diverted from the airport or delayed.
Last edited by Nudlaug; 26th Oct 2005 at 05:17.