Qantas flight makes ‘priority landing’ at Mildura airport after mid air scare
A Qantas flight has been forced to make a “priority landing” after a mid air scare due to technical issues.
The alarm was raised when the Dash 8 Q400 aircraft reportedly “lost hydraulics on its wing flaps”.
Flight QF2079 was on its way from Mildura to Melbourne with 63 passengers when it had to turn around soon after take-off at 10.40am and attempt the landing back in Mildura.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A Qantas spokesperson said the incident was not classified as an emergency landing, rather a “priority landing”.
The aircraft was met by emergency services and taxied to the gate under its own power.
Passengers were safe and it is understood they are now disembarking.
“One of our aircraft had to return to Mildura shortly after take-off on Tuesday due to a technical issue,” they said.
“Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this, and the flight has since landed safely in Mildura.
“We appreciate this would have been an unsettling experience for customers and thank them for their understanding.”
A spokesperson for NSW Police said, “Police along with other emergency services were called to an airport in Mildura following reports of an aircraft incident just after 11am, where it appears there was an issue with the aircraft.
“The plane landed safely, pilot and passengers weren’t injured.”
It is understood Qantas engineers will inspect the aircraft before it returns to service and passengers will be reassigned to another flight.
