LAX - reported ground incident

[serfty]

QF94D is just passing SYD on it's final stages to MEL ...

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!

 

[serfty]

If you have Google Earth loaded, here is a "coughpit view" - currently overwoolongon and passing Canberra to the left.

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!

 

[Melburnian1]

Just today. A380 services back on schedule tomorrow, apart from the odd B744 substitution on SYDLAX and SYDHKG.

Interestingly, just 4 hours out QF16 to BNE hadn't been cancelled yet. The only way this flight can operate is if the damaged B744 is repaired already, which is unlikely. Passengers are going to be unhappy if cancelled last minute and QF knew this all day.

Friday 28 February's QF12, normally departing LAX at 2220 has been delayed until 1000 on Saturday 1 March. The QF website suggests that it will arrive in SYD at 1940 tomorrow night.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed QF94D A388 has just touched down at MEL after a clear run in at a very quiet time for MEL airport, so it should be secured by chocks at about 2156. Let's see if the eight hour or so late QF9 with the same bird (VH-OQJ) can be on its way by 0001 on Sunday morning. My hunch is 'no' but time will tell.

UPDATE:

QF9 departed MEL at 0009 on Sunday 2 March for LHR via DXB.

 

[JessicaTam]

The delayed QF94D A388 has just touched down at MEL after a clear run in at a very quiet time for MEL airport, so it should be secured by chocks at about 2156. Let's see if the eight hour or so late QF9 with the same bird (VH-OQJ) can be on its way by 0001 on Sunday morning. My hunch is 'no' but time will tell.

UPDATE:

QF9 departed MEL at 0009 on Sunday 2 March for LHR via DXB.

2 1/4 hour turnaround is pretty darn good.

 

[Melburnian1]

Because Friday's QF12 is 12 hours late, having departed LAX at 1015 on Saturday 1 March and not now arriving in SYD until 1925 tonight, Sunday 2 March's QF11 is now shown as leaving at 2145 rather than its usual 1500 for a predicted 1610 mid afternoon arrival in LAX.

With the long layover at the latter, the return flight ex LAX should not be late (in theory).

QF93 from MEL to LAX today is predicted to depart an hour late at 1220.

I am not suggesting that with a fleet of 12 A390s QF can afford to have two or three lying around as standbys, but these delays show what a difference the sudden unavailability of even one larger plane makes to a company such as QF.

 

[legroom]

A little off topic

With such an enforced delay caused by external events, how willing would AA / CX / BA... or hotels be to accommodate your new timetable ?

Or would you then have to fall back on insurance to rebook everything ?

What had been your experience there ?

Thanks

 

[serfty]

A little off topic

With such an enforced delay caused by external events, how willing would AA / CX / BA... or hotels be to accommodate your new timetable ?

Or would you then have to fall back on insurance to rebook everything ?
...

If your connections were with AA, they would accommodate you, even with separate tickets(But invoice QF for the cost) as it is their published policy with *O connections.

With BA / CX if on the same ticket you would be accomodated.

 

[VHOEJ]

It is a mess allround - they are lucky OJC was available, it should have been on the ground preparing for retirement.

OEI will fly back with passengers but minus a winglet so there will be a payload penalty. It will take a couple days to fix in SYD, maybe 2. It is the easier fix. The 380 will be out for at least a week - it will probably ferry back to SYD empty to get it fixed. It isn't as simple as taking off the winglet and putting on a new one

And yes the cost will be $3m easily - the physical change to the aircraft, the fact aircraft are out of pattern etc, the cost of accommodation (which would have been high given it is Oscars weekend) and other expenses for delays, not to mention having aircraft not flying for a week (the 380), also the cost of connections. Plenty of money just wasted for something so simple. Not to mention the cost of passengers effected and if they will travel with you again

 

[Mwenenzi]

It is a mess allround - they are lucky OJC was available, it should have been on the ground preparing for retirement.

OEI will fly back with passengers but minus a winglet so there will be a payload penalty. It will take a couple days to fix in SYD, maybe 2. It is the easier fix. The 380 will be out for at least a week - it will probably ferry back to SYD empty to get it fixed. It isn't as simple as taking off the winglet and putting on a new one

And yes the cost will be $3m easily - the physical change to the aircraft, the fact aircraft are out of pattern etc, the cost of accommodation (which would have been high given it is Oscars weekend) and other expenses for delays, not to mention having aircraft not flying for a week (the 380), also the cost of connections. Plenty of money just wasted for something so simple. Not to mention the cost of passengers effected and if they will travel with you again

What is the basis of these statements? Or is just an opinion?

 

[Melburnian1]

The 380 will be out for at least a week - it will probably ferry back to SYD empty to get it fixed. It isn't as simple as taking off the winglet and putting on a new one

And yes the cost will be $3m easily - the physical change to the aircraft, the fact aircraft are out of pattern etc, the cost of accommodation (which would have been high given it is Oscars weekend) and other expenses for delays, not to mention having aircraft not flying for a week (the 380), also the cost of connections. Plenty of money just wasted for something so simple. Not to mention the cost of passengers effected and if they will travel with you again

Forgive me for asking such a basic question, but if the A388 damaged at LAX is not safe to fly with passengers, is it safe to deadhead (empty) with just the pilots (perhaps with some crew) back to SYD?

I lack engineering knowledge so again, pardon the question.

 

[openseat]

Because Friday's QF12 is 12 hours late, having departed LAX at 1015 on Saturday 1 March and not now arriving in SYD until 1925 tonight,

Ah, west bound daylight flight - what a friend in the face of jetlag. If only QF kept that service from LAX-SYD that existed 10 or so years ago.

 

[Flyerqf]

Both places/routes I will be going over the next 6 weeks, so knowing my Irish luck I will get them both ways...

QF127 on Tuesday and QF11 on Wednesday have changed to B744.
These should be the only required subs unless any other a/c goes out of service.

 

[comforttravel]

Friday 28 February's QF12, normally departing LAX at 2220 has been delayed until 1000 on Saturday 1 March. The QF website suggests that it will arrive in SYD at 1940 tomorrow night.

QF12D A388 just passed the equator at 13:00 EST. Due in Syd approx. 19:04EST

 

[VHOEJ]

No worries, no such thing as a basic question.

It isn't a matter of safety. A lot of the United aircraft that have broken in the last 12 months have been ferried back to LAX without passengers. A lot of factors are involved in deciding it - given the payload penalty, it might actually be cheaper to fly it back empty.

If it can't fly anywhere, they need to get the experts to inspect for structural damage. The 747 winglet comes off easily, the A380 doesn't have that. So they need people to inspect it and obviously they need the parts and the engineers on hand to actually repair it. It is much easier in your home port because you will generally have everything there you need ready to go.

Even the 747 that flew back today would have payload - so it wouldn't have been full and probably had to leave a lot of cargo back at LAX.

 

[Brisbane Flyer]

the cost of accommodation (which would have been high given it is Oscars weekend)

I doubt if any Oscars related people are staying on Century Blvd next to LAX, this is where they would put the first/biz passengers, I was on a delayed flight as Y+, we got put up at the Hacienda on Sepulveda Blvd, LAX Hotels | Hotels Near LAX | Hacienda Hotel, El Segundo, California

Cheers
BF

 

[Melburnian1]

QF94 from LAX to MEL (timetabled ex LAX at 2330 on Saturday 1 March) departed three minutes late, but is being diverted to AKL where it is shown as making a stop from 0845 to 1015 tomorrow morning (Monday 3 March) then supposedly arriving MEWL 105 minutes late at 1205.

This may be too early notification for a medical emergency (presumably if it was that, QF would find a closer airport or have it turn back to the USA since it's now only two and a half hours into the flight) so is it payload, passengers needing to be dropped off in NZ due to problems with other flights thanks to the Thursday night wing tip clip incident, or something else?

 

[JessicaTam]

QF94 from LAX to MEL (timetabled ex LAX at 2330 on Saturday 1 March) departed three minutes late, but is being diverted to AKL where it is shown as making a stop from 0845 to 1015 tomorrow morning (Monday 3 March) then supposedly arriving MEWL 105 minutes late at 1205.

This may be too early notification for a medical emergency (presumably if it was that, QF would find a closer airport or have it turn back to the USA since it's now only two and a half hours into the flight) so is it payload, passengers needing to be dropped off in NZ due to problems with other flights thanks to the Thursday night wing tip clip incident, or something else?

I doubt anyone is in a position to answer that until it lands in AKL.

 

[docjames]

I'm guessing a tech stop to trade payload for fuel as it'll presumably have 100% LF plus as many bags and cargo as it can hold.

 

[moa999]

The damaged A380 VH-OQI is operating as QF6021 due into SYD this evening.

The 747 VH-OEI operated QF108 into SYD Sunday morning.