Jetstar may sue man who grounded flight
From: bY Richard Finnila
December 12, 2005
AN airline passenger who sparked a mid-air emergency by taking a gas bottle on a plane could be sued over the $100,000 cost of aborting the flight and deploying another jet.
Budget airline Jetstar has revealed it is considering the extraordinary move after the passenger's gas bottle not only triggered the first emergency - but also continued leaking on the second flight on Friday night.
Eight people, including a baby and cabin crew, were taken to hospital suffering from nausea after the bottle leaked in the man's bag in the cargo hold on the first flight.
But after cabin crew asked all passengers whether they were carrying anything flammable, the man boarded another plane from Brisbane later in the evening with the bottle still in his baggage.
Small traces of the smell could still be detected, but not enough to cause another emergency landing.
After landing in Cairns all bags were searched and the gas cylinder seized.
Advertisement:
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said the company was upset by the man's blatant disregard for safety and was considering banning him from flying with the airline again.
"Our legal people will look at it and see if there is a way we can try to recover some of the costs," Mr Westaway said.
The Airbus A320 plane had to be grounded for most of Saturday while cleaning crews flushed out the gas.
"We had to take the plane for a test flight before we could let passengers back on board," Mr Westaway said.
"Private charters like these cost $30,000 alone."
Mr Westaway said the reason why the smell was not as potent in the second flight was because the plane was a Boeing 717 which uses a different style air-conditioning system.
If it had been another Airbus A320 then the same situation could have happened again.
Gas cylinders are a contraband item because they can leak and even explode at high altitudes.
Mr Westaway said the 30cm bottle, which is commonly used to fuel a small camp cooker, was detected when it began leaking after reaching 25,000 feet.
Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesman Jim Carden said the passenger should have declared the item when he checked in at Brisbane Airport.
"All passengers are asked at check in whether they are carrying any flammable devices in their luggage and clearly he didn't tell anyone," Mr Carden said.
"I can see why Jetstar want to throw the book at him and frankly so do we."
Mr Carden said holiday travellers should consider this is a timely reminder not to bring anything dangerous aboard a plane.
Mr Westaway said naivety was not an excuse.
Australian Federal Police are also investigating and could lay charges against the traveller.