Qantas engine failure sends Springboks back home

[travelling_gerry]

July 16, 2011 - 6:43AM
A Qantas aircraft carrying the South African rugby team to Sydney was forced to return to Johannesburg because of an overheating engine.

The pilot shut it down after it had experienced an increase in vibration and temperature.

The incident happened about an hour into the flight, with the Boeing 747 landing in Johannesburg two hours after the initial take-off.

"The aircraft has four engines and can safely fly on three engines," a Qantas spokesman said.

"There was no issue with safety and media reports that there was an explosion are incorrect."

The Springboks were meant to have landed in Sydney, aboard flight QF64, shortly after 2pm (AEST) on Saturday but they are now staying at a hotel in Johannesburg as Qantas decides whether to put them on a new aircraft.

"We are currently looking at options to get the aircraft back in the air as soon as possible," the spokesman said.

Springboks captain John Smit described the experience on social networking site Twitter.

"Wow, just had to do an emergency landing at OR Tambo," he tweeted. "We lost an engine after take-off but safely landed now!"

The world champion Springboks, who are due to play Australia in their opening match of the Tri Nations in Sydney on July 23, are unlikely to depart for Australia before Saturday, the South African Rugby Union said in a statement.

Qantas is a sponsor of the Australian rugby union team, the Wallabies.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz1SDxaSB20

[James]

Hahahahaha. I think when John O'Neill told Alan Joyce he wanted to kill the Springboks this year he meant on the field. You've gotta love the commitment to the cause from QANTAS though.