Placeholder Content Image

Virgin Australia flight diverts after part of wing comes loose mid-flight

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A passenger on board a Virgin Australia flight has described the shocking moment the lower flat on the plane’s left hand wing came loose and started blowing in the wind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The flight took off from Brisbane Airport for Melbourne just before 6pm and was diverted mid-air back to Brisbane due to an “engineering issue”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bill Mauger was travelling with his wife and noticed the issue soon after take-off. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"As we were starting to get some altitude I looked over to the wing and it looked like there was something caught in it. It looked as though there was a bit of cardboard," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I thought that is a bit weird. But then I took a bit of a closer look and it was actually part of the wing peeling away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It was quite a large chunk of wing flapping in the breeze."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Bill tried to alert the flight attendant, he was shut down quickly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was waving to get her attention and she said, 'Yes, we've seen it, the captain is dealing with it.' She shut the conversation right down," Bill said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Virgin Australia spoke to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/virgin-australia-flight-diverts-back-to-brisbane-after-wing-piece-comes-loose/aa934c7c-a3b4-4643-8b48-ff26108eb56b"><span style="font-weight: 400;">9 News</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, explaining that the plane wing’s issue was an “engineering issue” and not a “safety issue”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This was not a safety issue, however the Captain made the decision to conduct an air return so the aircraft could be inspected by our engineers as a precautionary measure," the Virgin Australia spokesperson said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photo credit: </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/virgin-australia-flight-diverts-back-to-brisbane-after-wing-piece-comes-loose/aa934c7c-a3b4-4643-8b48-ff26108eb56b"><span style="font-weight: 400;">9news.com.au</span></a></em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Qantas flight forced to divert after mid-air emergency

<p>A Qantas flight from Adelaide to Canberra was forced to divert to Melbourne following a mid-air emergency.</p> <p>Passengers on the QF706 flight on Tuesday morning said the plane was at a cruising altitude when a loud bang was heard. Soon the oxygen masks were deployed from the ceiling and the alert message was played.</p> <p>“It was a little bit surreal,” passenger Bodie Thorpe told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-05/adelaide-to-canberra-flight-makes-emergency-diversion/10870888" target="_blank">ABC</a>.</p> <p>“There was no sort of word as to what the problem was at the time, there was just a pre-recorded message on a loop that lasted for a couple of minutes after the masks dropped.”</p> <p>Vikki Denny said the experience was “disconcerting”.</p> <p>“They didn’t explain anything as far [as] what was occurring — they said this was an emergency procedure and there was a consistent alert going over the intercom,” said Denny.</p> <p>“The whole time we were on descent the emergency intercom was going to remain seated, keep oxygen on, this was an emergency.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">QF706 to Canberra this morning lost cabin pressure so we put the oxygen masks to good use while diverting to Melbourne. Kudos to the professionalism of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Qantas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Qantas</a> crew with the safety and wellbeing of passengers clearly the priority. Not how I expect my morning to go though. <a href="https://t.co/swokDvDXPg">pic.twitter.com/swokDvDXPg</a></p> — Greg Denehy (@gregdenehy) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregdenehy/status/1102705556194639874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Qantas <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QF706?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QF706</a> from Adelaide to Canberra (Boeing 737 VH-VXL) has diverted to Melbourne a short time ago due to cabin depressurisation. <a href="https://t.co/NULMDEpYun">pic.twitter.com/NULMDEpYun</a></p> — Brendan Grainger (@Highflyermel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Highflyermel/status/1102686253781139456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>However, Thorpe said the passengers on the cabin remained collected throughout the incident. </p> <p>“It was very organised and calm on board, no one seemed to be too afraid … it was very quiet and eerie for a while.”</p> <p>The plane landed safely in Melbourne on Tuesday just after 8 am following the cabin “pressurisation issues”.</p> <p>Qantas said all the passengers left the aircraft normally and will be transferred to other flights.</p> <p>“Our pilots and cabin crew handled the incident in line with standard operating procedures,” said Alex Passerini, chief technical pilot captain at Qantas.  </p> <p>“We would like to thank our customers who followed the crew instructions and remained calm during the diversion.</p> <p>“The aircraft is currently being examined by engineers in Melbourne to determine the fault.”</p> <p>The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it is considering a formal investigation into the incident. </p> <p>“The ATSB can confirm it has been notified of an occurrence this morning where a Boeing 737 on a flight from Adelaide to Canberra diverted to Melbourne due to reported pressurisation issues,” the ATSB said in a statement.</p> <p>“The ATSB will gather information into the occurrence before making a decision on whether or not to formally investigate.”</p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Qantas flight forced to divert after mid-air emergency

<p>A Qantas flight from Adelaide to Canberra was forced to divert to Melbourne following a mid-air emergency.</p> <p>Passengers on the QF706 flight on Tuesday morning said the plane was at a cruising altitude when a loud bang was heard. Soon the oxygen masks were deployed from the ceiling and the alert message was played.</p> <p>“It was a little bit surreal,” passenger Bodie Thorpe told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-05/adelaide-to-canberra-flight-makes-emergency-diversion/10870888" target="_blank"><em>ABC</em></a>.</p> <p>“There was no sort of word as to what the problem was at the time, there was just a pre-recorded message on a loop that lasted for a couple of minutes after the masks dropped.”</p> <p>Vikki Denny said the experience was “disconcerting”.</p> <p>“They didn’t explain anything as far [as] what was occurring — they said this was an emergency procedure and there was a consistent alert going over the intercom,” said Denny.</p> <p>“The whole time we were on descent the emergency intercom was going to remain seated, keep oxygen on, this was an emergency.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">QF706 to Canberra this morning lost cabin pressure so we put the oxygen masks to good use while diverting to Melbourne. Kudos to the professionalism of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Qantas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Qantas</a> crew with the safety and wellbeing of passengers clearly the priority. Not how I expect my morning to go though. <a href="https://t.co/swokDvDXPg">pic.twitter.com/swokDvDXPg</a></p> — Greg Denehy (@gregdenehy) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregdenehy/status/1102705556194639874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Qantas <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QF706?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QF706</a> from Adelaide to Canberra (Boeing 737 VH-VXL) has diverted to Melbourne a short time ago due to cabin depressurisation. <a href="https://t.co/NULMDEpYun">pic.twitter.com/NULMDEpYun</a></p> — Brendan Grainger (@Highflyermel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Highflyermel/status/1102686253781139456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">4 March 2019</a></blockquote> <p>However, Thorpe said the passengers on the cabin remained collected throughout the incident. </p> <p>“It was very organised and calm on board, no one seemed to be too afraid … it was very quiet and eerie for a while.”</p> <p>The plane landed safely in Melbourne on Tuesday just after 8 am following the cabin “pressurisation issues”.</p> <p>Qantas said all the passengers left the aircraft normally and will be transferred to other flights.</p> <p>“Our pilots and cabin crew handled the incident in line with standard operating procedures,” said Alex Passerini, chief technical pilot captain at Qantas.  </p> <p>“We would like to thank our customers who followed the crew instructions and remained calm during the diversion.</p> <p>“The aircraft is currently being examined by engineers in Melbourne to determine the fault.”</p> <p>The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it is considering a formal investigation into the incident. </p> <p>“The ATSB can confirm it has been notified of an occurrence this morning where a Boeing 737 on a flight from Adelaide to Canberra diverted to Melbourne due to reported pressurisation issues,” the ATSB said in a statement.</p> <p>“The ATSB will gather information into the occurrence before making a decision on whether or not to formally investigate.”</p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

What causes cancer? How focusing on unproven cancer risk diverts from the real cause

<p><em><strong>Justin Norrie says unproven cancer risks diverting focus from the real cause: lifestyle choices.</strong></em></p> <p>The fixation on potentially cancer-causing chemicals in the air, food and consumer products is diverting attention from the real risks, according to a review of global evidence by an Australian cancer researcher.</p> <p>Writing in the medical journal The Lancet Oncology, Professor Bernard Stewart, from the University of New South Wales, said that lifestyle factors - driven by “personal choices” - were the most significant proven causes of cancer.</p> <p>“Measures known to prevent cancer include smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake, curbing obesity and avoiding deliberate sun exposure,” said Professor Stewart, who reviewed medical literature from around the world on known and suspected cancer hazards.</p> <p>“Diverting attention from these messages threatens to undermine their efficacy to deliver proven benefits.”</p> <p>Alarmist media reporting had heightened fears about a multitude of possible cancer causes - from widespread and localised pollution, to pesticides, endocrine disrupting chemicals and consumer products such as mobile phones, he said.</p> <p>Air pollution was the only environmental factor that had conclusively been shown to increase the risk of cancer: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.ehjournal.net/content/6/1/7/" target="_blank">found</a></strong></span> that in one population, the proportion of lung cancers attributable to air pollution was 5-10%.</p> <p>But the risk was “at least 10 times less than it is for smoking”, Professor Stewart said.</p> <p>Of 32 pesticides <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.0901731" target="_blank">reviewed</a></strong></span> in 2010 for carcinogenic risk, none could be clearly implicated, but some were recommended for further investigation.</p> <p>Professor Stewart’s report also noted that <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.11774" target="_blank">occupational studies</a></strong></span> had “not implicated any chemical class as accounting for pollution-associated risk of breast cancer”.</p> <p>Though exposure to very small amounts of carcinogenic chemicals occurred as a result of food contamination and by using certain consumer products, these circumstances had never been shown to cause cancer in developed countries, he said.</p> <p>“Cancer has not been shown to have arisen because regulatory authorities overseeing food standards or consumer product safety overlooked the evidence, with the possible exception of quicker action to ban tanning devices.”</p> <p>Ian Musgrave, a senior lecturer in Pharmacology at University of Adelaide, said the report was a timely reminder that regulatory bodies needed to think carefully about how they allocated limited resources to preventative measures.</p> <p>“I’m not saying that environmental pollution is not important,” he said. “But people are focusing on the smallest impact with the least evidence rather than those with high impact and the most evidence.”</p> <p>It would be more useful to contemplate the hazards over which they had immediate control: “We can choose to stop smoking, control our food intake and consume less alcohol.”</p> <p><em>Written by Justin Norrie. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/5629/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Cruise ship forced to divert after dangerous encounter with cyclone

<p>The P&amp;O cruise ship, which was recently forced to turn back to Sydney to kick off seven passengers involved in a buck’s party brawl, has encountered trouble again.</p> <p>The Pacific Explorer has been diverted after heading towards the eye of a category four tropical cyclone.</p> <p>Crew members were caught off guard as the ship rerouted to Nouméa, New Caledonia, instead of stopping in the Isle of Pines.</p> <p>The cyclone is expected to pass through Vanuatu and New Caledonian before making its way toward Auckland.</p> <p>Residents in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and New Zealand have been instructed to monitor the storm as it is expected to be destructive.</p> <p>A spokesman for Carnival Cruises said, “Our marine operations people have been tracking the development of this weather system for several days.</p> <p>“As a general principle our ships sail away from severe weather systems and this one is no exception. </p> <p>“Pacific Explorer is alongside at Noumea today instead of making a scheduled call to Isle of Pines. We will continue to monitor conditions and respond accordingly on the basis that safety is, as always, the first priority.”</p> <p>Recently, the same ship returned to Sydney after two different <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2018/02/woman-charged-cruise-ship-returns-to-sydney-after-alcohol-fuelled-brawl/" target="_blank"><strong>bucks parties started fighting</strong></a></span> after an argument over a queue for the toilet.</p> <p>Six men and one woman were kicked off the cruise when it arrived in Sydney.</p> <p>The 37-year-old woman was later charged for allegedly smashing an empty wine bottle over a man’s head.</p> <p>Witnesses of the fight said it broke out at a bar on the ship in front of 100 other passengers.</p> <p>“It was just a very good bucks party,” one of the men later told 7 News.</p> <p>Have you ever been on a cruise and encountered bad weather? Tell us in the comments below. </p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

This flight was diverted over a spilled drink

<p>A passenger claims a fumbling flight attendant who drenched him was to blame for a plane having to make an emergency landing in the US but the airline says it was his fault.</p> <p>The American Airlines flight from Miami to Chicago was diverted due to a drink mishap.</p> <p>Roughly 150 people were aboard the Boeing 737 when the plane landed safely in Jacksonville after a soft drink splashed on an electronic device in the main cabin</p> <p>The flight crew decided to make an emergency landing, according to Matt Miller, spokesman for American Airlines.</p> <p>Miller said the plane is undergoing inspection to see if it will be able to continue or if another aircraft is needed.</p> <p>The incident, which is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, left passengers stranded at the airport until their journey was expected to resume about 10pm.</p> <p>The airline and at least one passenger are split about who's to blame for the blunder. Miller attributed the spill to a passenger, but Preston Wake doesn't remember it happening that way.</p> <p>Wake, 43, said he was seated in row 7 on the flight taking him home to Chicago when a flight attendant fumbled a soft drink and inadvertently drenched him.</p> <p>"I can't really tell you how far it went, but I was soaked," said Wake. "I had to change my clothes and everything."</p> <p>The next thing he knew, Wake said the crew was preparing to land in Jacksonville. "The reaction time was very good – we had to go where we had to go," he said.</p> <p>Despite the inconvenience, Wake praised airport staff for accommodating passengers. They were treated to snacks while they waited.</p> <p>"They've been taking care of everybody and I'm very pleased with that," Wake said.</p> <p>Tom Francis, spokesman for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, said the department had units on standby after receiving an alert about the unexpected stop but the plane landed without incident.</p> <p><em>Written by Garret Pelican. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

Placeholder Content Image

British Airways flight diverted after 25 crew became ill

<p>A British Airways flight from San Francisco to London was diverted to Vancouver after 25 members of the cabin crew became unwell, the airline said on Tuesday.</p> <p>Twenty-five crew were admitted to local hospitals as a precaution but had now been discharged, British Airways spokeswoman Michele Kropf said.</p> <p>She said no customers were taken to hospital and that the crew had not been treated for smoke inhalation.</p> <p>Passenger Steve Lowy told CBC News about two hours into the flight the crews started quickly clearing away dinner.</p> <p>"They suddenly cleared the trays away, and said that we were going to do a landing in Calgary due to the fact that there was a technical issue with the plane and a number of the cabin staff weren't feeling well."</p> <p>"I gather afterwards there were issues on the lower deck, but you couldn't hear anything or see anything. No alarms going off," Lowy said.</p> <p>"I don't think the crew knew a lot about what was going on, or if they did, they didn't want to alarm anyone…We just sat there in silence, being very British," he said.</p> <p>British Airways did not comment on the cause of the problem.</p> <p>"The flight from San Francisco diverted to Vancouver after members of the cabin crew became unwell. The cabin crew were checked as a precaution at local hospitals before being discharged," the airline said in an emailed statement.</p> <p>The airline said that its Vancouver staff had arranged hotel accommodation for affected customers and will book them on alternative flights as soon as possible.</p> <p>The diverted flight landed in Vancouver on Monday at around 11:30pm (7:30pm Tuesday NZDT), said Vancouver Airport spokesman is Chris Devauld, who referred questions about additional details to the airline.</p> <p>"The aircraft landed safely and British Airways is now working with passengers," he said.</p> <p>Earlier this year, passengers told of the terrifying moment their flight was forced to make an emergency landing after up to six crew members became ill.</p> <p>The incident occurred on an American Airlines flight destined for Los Angeles from London's Heathrow Airport in January. </p> <p>According to reports in the MailOnline, one flight attendant fainted while five other cabin crew were struck down with the mystery illness.</p> <p>What do you think the source of the crew’s illness could have been? Let us know what you think in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Written by Matt Scuffham and Jeffrey Hodgson. First appeared on <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/best-or-worst-time-to-visit-europe/"></a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/10/koala-and-butterfly-best-friends/">This koala and a butterfly are the best of friends</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/best-or-worst-time-to-visit-europe/"></a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/08/10-best-bird-watching-spots-in-australia/">10 best bird watching spots in Australia</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/best-or-worst-time-to-visit-europe/"></a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/08/breathtaking-images-of-flock-of-budgies/">Breathtaking images of flock of budgies</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/10/best-or-worst-time-to-visit-europe/"> </a></strong></em></span></p>

International Travel

Our Partners