Q.F 819 Cbr to mel 17th march

[sirjfp]

Under the headline " MID AIR PRAYER " the Herald Sun Melbourne reports today....

" Passengers on a Qantas plane that lurched forward in mid-air yesterday prayed to Saint Patrick to save them .

Flight Q.F 819 from Canberra to Melbourne with 44 passengers turned back to Canberra after the plane experienced mechanical problems after takeoff. A Qantas spokeswomen said engineers would inspect the plane but she would not elaborate on the problem.

Passenger , Professor Robert Pascoe of Victoria University , said the plane lurched heavily. " Everything went very quiet and people started praying to St. Patrick." "

You've gotta love those Irish Saints.! Looks like they saved another 44 pax and crew from certain death !

Seriously though , the lurch forward sounds to me like a fairly rapid power reduction and the " very quiet " is the result of the engines operating on less power in preparation for the return to Canberra. A bit like the sensation you get when speed and height limitations are active ex Sydney Airport.

Obviously some sort of mechanical problem though.

Anyone out there got any real information?

[Hugh Jarse]

If it was TJU (I think), it was in the vacant hangar having the #2 engine changed all day today.

Damn that #2 engine again..

[flightfocus]

..." lurched forward...." :eek: :eek:

Sounds like the pilot was having trouble changing gears...:ooh: :p := :uhoh:

[Hugh Jarse]

He would be the patron Saint of Guinness, no?:ok:

[hoss]

Only 44 pax on a CBR-MEL:eek: . Could be time to start running a Dash 8-300 I think.:hmm: Or even get some -400s and introduce the Cityflier on this route.

Yes I know, the Politicians will love it.:rolleyes:

Safe flying, hoss

[mulgabill]

Is that the same TJU that had multiple bird strikes in Karratha
about a week ago??

[apacau]

Yes it was TJU. Sat on the ground in CBR in the Impulse/Qantas hangar all day yesterday while the engine was replaced (one had to get trucked in).

I have heard but cannot confirm that it was a bearing failure which led to a piece of metal passing through the engine. Does this sound plausible to those people who know a bit about such things?

[Groaner]

I always prefer the planes that lurch forward to the ones that just try and sit still in mid-air.

And I wonder how the good professor knew the entire 44 people were praying to St Patrick? Did they all simultaneously shout out "Help me, Pat"?. Got to say, I'm fairly sure it wouldn't be my first choice of words...

(Could have been a vision, maybe. Or maybe a Guinness or three prior to boarding)

[Raider1]

For what it is worth Monday was a Public Holiday in Canberra hence no business traffic and a light load for what is normally a full peak hour fight.:D