What: VIRGIN Australia Boeing en route from Brisbane to Los Angeles
Where: Los Angeles
When: August 27, 2012
Who: 416 passengers
Why: The flight made an emergency landing in LA when it developed problems with its landing gear.
Emergency services were on standby during the landing. Fortunately, pilots made a safe landing with no injuries reported.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer John Richard Thomson
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 en route from Coolangatta/Gold Coast,QL to Melbourne,VI
Where: Coolangatta
When: Apr 15th 2012
Who: Essendon Football Team
Why: The flight was en route when a problem developed with the fuel. Pilots diverted to Brisbane and made a safe landing. Emergency services met the plane on the tarmac. Virgin’s public statement said the problem was a minor maintenance issue.
The football team won against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday night but ended up stranded in Brisbane. The spokesman for Essedon said “There was definitely no emergency. It’s probably been overplayed a bit.”
The flight was cancelled.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer George Canciani
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Steven Austen
What: Qantas Boeing 737-800 en route from Brisbane to Sydney
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 en route from Sydney to Brisbane
Where: near Sydney
When: Jan 8th 2012
Why: The Qantas Boeing was 170nm north of Sydney diverting from its flight plan, deviating around a storm. Simultaneously, a Virgin Boeing had been cleared to climb above weather.
Their locations and trajectory triggered an alert.
The planes arrived safely.
What: Virgin Australia/Pacific Blue Boeing 737-800 en route from Brisbane,QL to Denpasar Bali
Where: Brisbane
When: Oct 14th 2011
Who: 1st officer
Why: The plane was in its parking bay as the first officer was inspecting the plane prior to departure, when the exhaust of a departing Qantas jet blew the mobile stairs, including the first officer, over. Both stairs and pilot ended up on the tarmac, the first officer ending up with a broken arm and leg. The plane was in its parking bay. The pilot departed for the hospital, presumably by ambulance, and the plane departed for Bali, with only a 90 minute delay.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this happening!
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 737-700 en route from Brisbane to Launceston
Where: Hobart
When: Jun 16th 2011
Who: 56 passengers
Why: On approach to Launceton, the crew noted a flaps asymmetry, and aborted the approach. They burned off fuel, and diverted to Hobart where they made a safe landing. Passengers feared for their lives but apparently were not in as much danger as they feared.
Subsequently, due to Puyehue ash concerns, they took a bus to Launceston. The flight was carrying the Gold Coast Suns football team.
What: Virgin Airlines Airbus A-340 en route from London to Washington DC.
Where: St Johns International
When: May 2011
Who: 269 passengers
Why: While en route, a passenger was ill. The flight diverted to DC to get the passenger assistance, and made a safe landing. THe passenger was transported to the Health Sciences Centre and the flight resumed.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Nathan Zalcman
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300 en route from Los Angeles to Sydney
Where: Los Angeles
When: April 12, 2011
Who: 305 passengers
Why: On making its takeoff run from Los Angeles, the plane emitted a loud “bang!” and stopped on the runway, they believed for a nose gear. It turned out to be the fireball erupting from engine one. Needless to say, the jet was pulled for inspection, and the passengers were given hotel accommodations for the night. They were provided an alternative flight the next day.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Thanat W.
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300 en route from Phuket Thailand to Melbourne
Where: over Jakarta
When: Jan 31, 2011
Who: 4 passengers, 4 flight attendants
Why: While en route, the flight encountered twenty seconds of turbulence that tossed just-served food, flight attendants, passengers and trolleys around, and shook them up. On encountering the turbulence, the pilot made an announcement requesting “passengers buckle their seatbelts.”
Two to four members of the flight crew sustained minor injuries, and four passengers. They were attended by paramedics six hours after the turbulence, on landing at Melbourne.
Reports of food poisoning on this flight were unsubstantiated.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Thanat W.
What: Virgin Australia Boeing 777-300 en route from Los Angeles to Brisbane
Where: Los Angeles
When: Oct 15th 2010
Why: While being towed to the gate, the plane’s wing struck a hangar which cause substantial damage to the wing.
Passengers were left without a flight and have experienced a delay in returning to Australia.
