Strange reasons for flight delays

[Mattg]

I had a rather unusual delay yesterday on QF52 from Singapore to Brisbane. The cause of the delay... tropical fish.

We boarded on time but then sat at the gate for nearly an hour while the flight crew sorted out a "cargo issue". The captain later explained the full reason for the delay. Apparently there were 35 containers of tropical fish in the cargo hold, and the bleed air valve heating the part of the cargo hold with the live fish had malfunctioned. They spent an hour trying to determine whether the tropical fish would die if the hold wasn't heated. Eventually it was decided that they would survive the flight and we were able to depart!

What's the strangest reason you've come across for a flight being delayed?

 

[Denali]

Im guessing the fish would be in containers of some sort. Are they sealed? How would fish handle compressed air/water pressure at altitude?

 

[Mattg]

Im guessing the fish would be in containers of some sort. Are they sealed? How would fish handle compressed air/water pressure at altitude?

I'm guessing that the fish were in sealed containers because the captain mentioned something about them being happy swimming around in their own water at altitude. I have no idea about the science behind this though - perhaps someone more knowledgeable will be able to answer.

 

[mannej]

Considering the bird issues in the media a few weeks ago, I'm sure QF are a bit cautious about transporting pets/animals currently.

 

[OZDUCK]

The fish are (were in the 1970's & 80's when I used to run across them anyway) transported in "plastic" bags inside cardboard shipping boxes. When in Customs, I used to run across Quarantine Officers holding up the bags to ensure that no Prohibited Species were in the shipments. For a comprehensive explanation have look at https://thefishsite.com/articles/shipping-fish-in-boxes

 

[ozjuice]

The containers would be sealed water tight so the outside air would make no difference to oxygen levels inside the containers. The water would already be oxygenated enough for the trip.

 

[benjy]

Love how this thread quickly turned into discussing fish on aircraft instead of the original question - what's the strangest reason for a flight delay?

Mine that I can remember is the flight was delayed due to maintenance having to "check out some rubber bits from the wing"

 

[Denali]

edit: deleted as not about the topic

 

[Glider_]

Passengers loaded, sitting at the gate and can feel the front of the aircraft wiggling. After a bit the Captain asks everyone in the first 20 rows to hop up and onto the aerobridge for a minute. Ground crew were changing a tyre up front while boarding but the extra weight meant they couldn't get the jack out!

 

[docjames]

When "doing RFDS" many years ago, I once had to drive back from Wilcannia to Broken Hill after we hit a goanna on landing (and the engineer required for inspection was going to have to drive out and the plane stay overnight).

 

[whughes3]

My strangest delay occurred about 4 years ago on a MEL-SYD flight; just before pushback a sparrow was found flying around the cabin and had to be caught and ejected before we could depart! Just to add to the interest, I found myself sitting next to John Howard (the ex-PM, not the actor) on this flight. (There is a thread on this in the Qantas forum).

 

[trooper]

Way back in 89.... we were heading off on an amazingly priced package deal to the "Indonesian International Skydiving Championships and Boogie in Bali" lol
Garuda flight number ,,but aircraft was from a US Charter company and crewed by Americans. It was a DC-10. I believe it was during the Haji when the "real" Garuda aircraft were carrying pilgrims....

We were delayed because they were "having a little trouble closing the aft cargo door"....:shock::shock::shock:

Not so much strange....as frightening.......

As an aside... we were allowed to take our parachute rigs onboard as carry on......... that caused some interesting looks from the non-skydivers onboard.....

 

[Simo]

Cows on the run way...

 

[serfty]

Mangos!

I posted this in 2006; in over 1500 RPT flight it is still the most unusual:

I'm waiting in AKL for boarding to commence for my Air NZ flight to MEL. This has been delayed 40 minutes as, on the inbound flight from Nandi, luggage had been checked containing Melons.

Apparently, they exploded while in flight and the hold of the A320 now has to be scrubbed before luggage can be loaded!

That's a completely new one on me ...

...

Actually; after making my way back to the gate an announcement was made that it wasn't exploding Melons but Exploding Mangoes!

By the time we boarded I was still wondering how mangoes could actually explode. Melons, possibly, but mangoes?

All became clear with the Pilot's pre-flight announcement that it was in fact jars of pickled mangoes that had indeed exploded and it was a corrosive pickling fluid that had leaked out into the hold, necessitating cleanup before it damaged the aircraft.

On a more mundane note, we waited another 40 minutes after boarding while the passenger luggage was loaded
...

There's some more delays described here (including melons):

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....interesting-reasons-delayed-flight-57755.html

 

[Denali]

Many, many, many, many years ago my husband was in... trying to remember if it was PNG or Solomons (cant remember) and the plane was delayed as a number of politician wives had sat themselves down at the end of the runway because they wanted the plane to go shopping.

We were also delayed in PNG once because the plane was overweighted with all these large westerners and all their scuba and photography gear and gadgets. FAs walked onboard, talked to a few pax and then the skinniest one with a plastic Franklins bag holding a pair of thongs got off and we were allowed to fly. Had to laugh as Im sure the guy didnt weigh more than 50kgs.

 

[jb747]

I had a rather unusual delay yesterday on QF52 from Singapore to Brisbane. The cause of the delay... tropical fish.

We boarded on time but then sat at the gate for nearly an hour while the flight crew sorted out a "cargo issue". The captain later explained the full reason for the delay. Apparently there were 35 containers of tropical fish in the cargo hold, and the bleed air valve pressurising the part of the cargo hold with the live fish had malfunctioned.

The hold can't be unpressurised. If it is the pressure relief pads in the floor will collapse. The bleed air supplying the heating to the hold would have been the issue.

 

[Mattg]

The hold can't be unpressurised. If it is the pressure relief pads in the floor will collapse. The bleed air supplying the heating to the hold would have been the issue.

Yes, that was exactly the issue. Thank you for clarifying.

I have corrected my original post.

 

[Ikara]

Many years ago (10 - 15) my QF flight from SYD - ADL was delayed and then cancelled because a bogong moth had lodged itself in the pitot tube and they couldn't get it out. Over nighted in SYD at QF's cost.

JB

 

[Flying Fox]

Few years ago flying ADL-SIN on SQ. Delayed approx 3hrs as inbound flight was unloaded and yellow powder was found in the cargo hold. HAZMAT team had to check it all out. It was passed and the flight eventually left.

I'm guessing it was curry powder that escaped its packaging.

 

[Milboo]

Cows on the run way...

Kudu on the runway and baboons alongside...