
What: REX flight ZL114 en route from Merimbula to Moruya to Sydney
Where: Moruya airport
When: Mar 09, 2012
Why: First the flight was delayed.
Then it made a scheduled landing in Moruya; but ten minutes after it took off, the pilot saw the engine overheating, and had to return to Moruya.
Alarmed passengers felt a jolt when an engine was shut down. They didn’t know the alarm indicated one engine was on fire but some noticed that one propeller was down.
Passengers were relieved by the safe landing in Moruya with emergency services from Moruya, Broulee, and NSW Fire and Rescue standing by.
Interviews of the passengers indicate a range of emotions-passengers who were calm because flight crew was calm, alarmed because the flight crew looked worried, alarmed by the engine failure and inactive propellor, but everyone was relieved to be on the ground.
Some of the stranded passengers continued to their destination on the alternative flight provided by Rex, which left at 11:20 a.m. their lives made more difficult after missing connecting flights; at least one decided to return home.
Maintenance discovered no engine fire, but said that a faulty sensor might have been waterlogged. Rex engineers were scheduled to fly in to check out the plane.
In George’s Point of View
Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance! I can’t say this too many times!