Rex meets Kangaroo

[Rotor Work]

From the Herald Sun
A MELBOURNE-bound passenger plane has hit a kangaroo after it strayed on to a runway at the regional airport in Victoria’s northwest.

The Rex Airlines flight ZL3653 had to be cancelled after it struck the animal in the initial stages of takeoff about 6.30am.

An airline spokeswoman said the kangaroo hit the 34-seater plane’s right propeller.

“Takeoff was rejected and the aircraft is still in Mildura,” the spokeswoman said.

She said none of the plane’s occupants were hurt.


Passengers were shifted on to alternative flights and have since all made it to Melbourne.

The spokeswoman said the Saab 340 twin-turboprop’s propeller was damaged in the collision, with engineers to assess the extent of the impact.

Mildura Airport is surrounded by fences, so it’s not known how the kangaroo made it on to the tarmac.

[Ken Borough]

Mildura Airport is surrounded by fences, so it’s not known how the kangaroo made it on to the tarmac

Incredible! Must have been written by a work-experience kiddie. :ugh:

[hoss58]

HI Guys.


Now admittedly this was a fair while ago but I lived on the airport at YMIA between 1984 and 1990 (across from the BOM building for anyone who knows the airport) and I can tell you there were no shortage of places for roos to enter the airport boundry as the fences were only waist high wire strand fences.


As I said its been a while but I have been back a number of times and each time nothing had changed. Poor old Les the groundsman was forever chasing them away. I was always surprised there were not more problems with roos than there were.


Fly safe


Play hard


Regards Hoss

[TBM-Legend]

Mildura Airport is surrounded by fences, so it’s not known how the kangaroo made it on to the tarmac.

by hopping I assume!

now where's the outrage that "pilot kills our national emblem with aircraft propellor in a restricted area!"

[onetrack]

With a little determined effort, a kangaroo can clear an 8' (2.5M) high obstacle easily. You'd need deer-proof fences (10' or 3M high) to prevent kangaroo incursions onto runways and airstrips - and even then, there have been reports of kangaroos being chased, clearing 10' obstacles. Just one of the minor hazards of aviation and driving in Australia. There have been a number of reported roo-strikes by aircraft, particularly on landing, not so much on takeoff.

Kangaroo easily clears normal fence in his stride (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojo1HbIuWno)

Call for Kempsey airport perimeter fencing after Mooney strikes kangaroo on landing (http://www.nbnnews.com.au/2014/03/03/calls-to-build-airport-fence-after-plane-hits-kangaroo/)

RFDS turboprop taken out by kangaroo (http://www.cqnews.com.au/news/flying-docs-taken-out-by-kangaroo/2052477/)

ATSB - Aviation wildlife strike statistics, 2002-2011 (https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3913013/ar-2012-031_.pdf) (a total of 66 reported kangaroo strikes by aircraft in this period)

[Lookleft]

In the late 90's when Ansett were flying 737s to Argyle, a kangaroo decided to headbutt a nacelle. I don't remember much media coverage about it. Maybe that's what inspired GT to take up the journalistic reins?:p

[Sunfish]

Reminds me of the trouble report I read years ago. Ansett F27 departing Hobart "On take off, nose wheel struck rabbit on Tarmac stop "Mid hare collision".