SpiceJet Flight Hits Buffalo During Takeoff at Surat Airport

All India | Written by Rohit Bhan (With inputs from PTI) | Updated: November 07, 2014 00:35 IST

The engine of the aircraft suffered damage in the incident

Surat :  140 passengers of a Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight from Surat had a narrow escape on Thursday evening when the aircraft hit a stray buffalo on the runway, as it was about to take-off.
Due to the hit, the aircraft's engine suffered damage and the take-off had to be aborted. The incident occurred around 7 pm.
"A Surat-to-Delhi SpiceJet aircraft, Flight number SG 622, carrying around 140 passengers excluding crew members today hit a stray animal on take-off roll at Surat airport," said Siddharth Kumar, an airline's spokesperson.

All passengers were reported to be safe; the plane though was grounded.

The passengers were later booked on an alternate flight which had come from Mumbai and was Delhi-bound.

Due to stray-animal menace, SpiceJet has also decided to suspend its services on Surat airport for an indefinite period.

"All SpiceJet flights from Surat to be indefinitely suspended after one of our aircraft hit a large stray animal on take-off toll today. Suspension will be effective as soon as possible," Mr Kumar said.

Surat is a small airport which handles about three flights daily. The airport became operational about two years ago.

Story First Published: November 06, 2014 22:51 IST



Original post from http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/spicejet-flight-hits-buffalo-during-takeoff-at-surat-airport-617258

Virgin Australia Flight turns back due to Toilet Leaks

A Virgin Australia plane bound for Sydney was forced back to Los Angeles due to leaking sinks, the airline said on Tuesday (Nov 4), but denied passenger claims that human waste reached the aisles.

SYDNEY: A Virgin Australia plane bound for Sydney was forced back to Los Angeles due to leaking sinks, the airline said on Tuesday (Nov 4), but denied passenger claims that human waste reached the aisles.

Flight VA2 was heading to Sydney, from where it would continue to Christchurch in New Zealand, early on Tuesday when the problem occurred. "In accordance with standard operating procedures, the captain made the decision to return to port as a precautionary measure after two of the sinks on board were leaking," the airline said in a statement.

Virgin denied comments from a passenger speaking to New Zealand radio who said that the leak involved human waste reaching the aisles and that the smell was "unbearable". "The onboard toilets operate on a completely separate drainage system," the airline told The Sydney Morning Herald. "As the issue was with the aircraft sink, and not the toilets, there was no incident of leaked human waste."

The carrier said the long-haul flight was turned around for the comfort of passengers and it had been cleared to return to service. It did not reveal what caused the problem. "The safety of the aircraft was never in question," it said.


original post from http://www.smh.com.au/world/smelly-problem-on-virgin-flight-to-sydney-forces-plane-back-to-la-20141104-11gn23.html