Sandilands – "Just what-the-hell is really going on?"
Bloody good question Ben. There are some older questions hanging about, unanswered by ATSB in relation to the VARA operation. As someone remarked, there may well be some clammy hands at Virgin HQ. Like the strange doings at Emerald. Now it just may be me loosing the marbles again; but, as told, it's a passing strange tale. Seems the Albury ATR was on service Brisbane – Emerald Qld, when a FA noticed 'fumes' at the rear of the aircraft on the climb out. It appears these 'fumes' conveniently disappeared and all was well; the aircraft completing the service to Emerald. The FA put in a report, the ATSB did a 'move on – nothing to see' report and the issue duly placed in the tidy bin - endit. Except, the return sector started normally but ended in a return to Emerald with a 'minor engine failure' (whatever the hell that is), which was serious enough to keep the aircraft on the deck for two days. There is no ATSB follow up report on that incident that I can find available.
Now, while fumes disappearing may well be no cause for great alarm; no ATSB report on the same aircraft, on the next sector, on the same day, returning to land with 'engine' issues could not be construed as insignificant. You could, quite reasonably expect an ATSB report on that part of the story; being a two day fix and all. Benefit of doubt, maybe it's buried in that tip the ATSB call a web****e. What with this incident, then Moranbah (x2), plus the Canberra and Albury events, are we starting to see a form of interesting pattern emerging?
So yes, what precisely and exactly is going on. Hmmm, can I feel a Lockhart coming on?