"Suspicious Package" grounds Qantas Flight
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"Suspicious Package" grounds Qantas Flight
Suspicious odour grounds Qantas flight
Chris Thomson
May 21, 2009 - 10:24AM
More than 150 Sydney-bound passengers were stranded for three-and-a-half hours at Perth Airport yesterday after QF574 was evacuated when a suspicious odour was detected in the plane's cargo hold.
Deputy Mayor of the City of Cockburn, Kevin Allen, said the 737-800 aircraft was evacuated after a "suspicious parcel" was found on board.
Councillor Allen is on leave, and was due to travel to Sydney for a connecting flight to San Francisco that he said he would now miss. He said five fire trucks and two carloads of police had attended the grounded aircraft to examine cargo in the plane's hull.
Cr Allen estimated "168 to 180" people had boarded the flight before it was evacuated.
"It was definitely a full flight and I know there were at least 30 passengers going onto the States," he said.
"There was not a lot of information coming through, I'm told, because the authorities took it out of control of Qantas.
"I'm fine, I'm upstairs in the Qantas Club, but there's some cranky people around because a number of announcements they've provided have been a bit limited."
The flight was due to depart at 5.45am, but was now expected to board at 9.20am, Cr Allen said.
A Qantas spokesman said the plane had been cleared after an "odour was detected in the rear cargo hold" just before departure.
"After assessment by the captain and engineers, local fire authorities were called to attend," the spokesman said.
"In line with procedure, passengers disembarked but baggage had to remain on the aircraft."
Passengers with hand luggage only were accommodated on other flights. The Qantas spokesman said QF574 was cleared as safe at 8.40am and would depart Perth Airport "shortly".
He confirmed Qantas would cover overnight accommodation costs of passengers who missed connecting flights
Chris Thomson
May 21, 2009 - 10:24AM
More than 150 Sydney-bound passengers were stranded for three-and-a-half hours at Perth Airport yesterday after QF574 was evacuated when a suspicious odour was detected in the plane's cargo hold.
Deputy Mayor of the City of Cockburn, Kevin Allen, said the 737-800 aircraft was evacuated after a "suspicious parcel" was found on board.
Councillor Allen is on leave, and was due to travel to Sydney for a connecting flight to San Francisco that he said he would now miss. He said five fire trucks and two carloads of police had attended the grounded aircraft to examine cargo in the plane's hull.
Cr Allen estimated "168 to 180" people had boarded the flight before it was evacuated.
"It was definitely a full flight and I know there were at least 30 passengers going onto the States," he said.
"There was not a lot of information coming through, I'm told, because the authorities took it out of control of Qantas.
"I'm fine, I'm upstairs in the Qantas Club, but there's some cranky people around because a number of announcements they've provided have been a bit limited."
The flight was due to depart at 5.45am, but was now expected to board at 9.20am, Cr Allen said.
A Qantas spokesman said the plane had been cleared after an "odour was detected in the rear cargo hold" just before departure.
"After assessment by the captain and engineers, local fire authorities were called to attend," the spokesman said.
"In line with procedure, passengers disembarked but baggage had to remain on the aircraft."
Passengers with hand luggage only were accommodated on other flights. The Qantas spokesman said QF574 was cleared as safe at 8.40am and would depart Perth Airport "shortly".
He confirmed Qantas would cover overnight accommodation costs of passengers who missed connecting flights
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"odour was detected in the rear cargo hold"
