'Rattling' plane turns back

[Deanw]

News24:


'Rattling' plane turns back

10/03/2005

Pietermaritzburg - An early morning flight from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg had to turn back on Thursday after it started to rattle and shake about 20 minutes into the flight.

One of the 23 passengers on SA Airlink's flight SA 8032, was social and economic development head for the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) Dumisane Mthalani.

He said a passenger in a window seat noticed that two screws were missing from the engine cowling, close to where the left wing joined the fuselage.

"The fuselage looked torn and loose and the plane was making this 'rrrrr-sound'," he said.

He said the passenger alerted the hostess, who informed the pilot.

"The pilot said that we couldn't continue and had to turn back."

Two fire engines were waiting for them at Johannesburg International Airport in case they burst into flames upon landing.

The passengers were offered the next flight to Durban Airport from where they would be driven to their destinations.

Eighteen passengers opted to wait two hours for the next available flight to Pietermaritzburg's Oribi Airport.

SA Airlink regional manager, Pat Svendsen, said the company was waiting for a technical report to be completed before issuing a statement.

She confirmed that any passenger who felt they needed to be reimbursed could contact SA Airlink on 033-386-9286.

[Rhodie]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.....

Once I stopped laughing at the sheer idiocy of the report, (or was that crying..), I started to wonder what qualified Mr Mthalani to pass comment on torn fuselages and 'rrrrr' sounds... :{

I wonder what he would have said if the engines were shut down..

"the plane was making this wooosh sound..."

Forget the reporter - someone shoot the :mad: editor...!!!!

Cheers

R

[Balloothebear]

Dean, thanks a mill for this laugh a minute posting

"One of the 23 passengers on SA Airlink's flight SA 8032, was social and economic development head for the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) Dumisane Mthalani.......and the plane was making this 'rrrrr-sound'," he said."

Funny most aircraft Ive ever heard make a "rrrrrr-sound" of sorts.

"Two fire engines were waiting for them at Johannesburg International Airport in case they burst into flames upon landing."


Press sensationalism , gotta love it

On a more serious note, the maintenance standards in RSA are very fast becomming equivallent to the rest of the continent.

Another sad and scary day in African Aviation.:mad:

[I.R.PIRATE]

Well lets put it this way....in my earlier days of flying another type of a/c, if it actually stopped making the " rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ", I would have reached between my legs for a certain handle, and hastily departed the now |"rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-less" machine.....:}

[B Sousa]

You have to watch out for the "Knockity-Ping, Knockity-Ping, Knockity-Ping" Thats the worst sound.......but Silence is also not good..

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Knockity-ping, knockity-ping?

Dunno about that, Bert. Sounds more like a foetus frightening machine to me. Don't you perhaps mean the "Boom-chugga-lugga, boom-chugga-lugga" sound?:E

[I.R.PIRATE]

The absolute worst is that BRRRR-CH-CH-BRRRR-CH-CH-BRRRR....

Oh wait, thats the sound all pistons make....

[B Sousa]

Rhodie
Another sound is the Gaseous Expulsion made by Anthony after a night in Lusaka. The Chemical mixture of Boerwoers and Beer is almost enough to require the aircraft be scrapped...........

[Stayinalive]

Rrrrrrichard...

Yes Cccccaptain...

Rrrrrrread the apprrrrrrroach checklist will you...

Ccccccccan do Ccccccccaptain...

Bit of a bummer having to rrrrrrrrreturn...dont u think?

Yes Ccccccccaptain........passengers get ccccccccconcerned when they hear Rrrrrrrrrrr sounds...

Yeah...Rrrrrrrrright.....You do the passenger announcements next time ok?

Caaaaaan do Caaaaaaptain....