Virgin Australia Crew Incident in Fiji

[andyrb]

Just saw a post on Reddit (that appears to have since been deleted maybe) about a serious incident involving a VA flight crew in Fiji.

Any goss?

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Details seem quite light

Australian airline crew confined to Fiji hotel room over ‘incident’

The carrier has sent a management team to investigate.

7news.com.au

 

[andyrb]

Details seem quite light

Thanks, and you're right. It's an entire article that says a lot without actually saying anything.

Now I'm trying to figure out what's happened that's involved management investigation, family members flying there and hotel segregation.

 

[straitman]

I actually watched it on the Ch7 news and the information was no more or less.

 

[Saab34]

Sounds ugly. I assume if drugs they wouldn’t be confined to a hotel. Sounds more company directed, ie split up. The weird bit is the families being flown over also, bit much for a simple code of conduct breach.

 

[HS-TQE]

If it was drugs, I'd assume they would be detained at the Airport rather than the hotel. I'd suspect the incident is something else entirely, but serious enough to split up the original crew members (I'm assuming FAs are also (or the only ones) involved as the reports says 3 crews) of the plane.

 

[andyrb]

Crew death: possible; but wouldn't explain why surviving crew members segregated or why families would be en route

Serious illness/medical/exposure: possible; would explain hotel segregation and families

Company policy breach: possible; explains hotel segregation (not talking to each other until interviewed), but not really families

Aviation incident: possible; explains hotel segregation but not families

Criminal matter: possible; explains hotel segregation and families

Re-reading the "news" report, it says welfare of flight crew, which suggests something happened to the staff involved.

 

[Saab34]

Families and Management being sent to a foreign country reeks of criminal behaviour.

The vagueness in the article could also mean 3 crew are separated in the hotel while the other three are potentially in the cells or with the authorities. NYD drug and alcohol fuelled event the prior night?

 

[MarkD]

In my workplace, if a critical incident occurs, those involved are segregated and forbidden to speak about the matter, pending interviews etc. Phones are siezed and union contact is all that is allowed. Depending on the matter, critical incident leave applies as well. it will all come out in the wash and speculation is rarely what we assume.

 

[DC3]

In my workplace, if a critical incident occurs, those involved are segregated and forbidden to speak about the matter …

Forbidden? How is that enforced? Just curious.

 

[Hvr]

Forbidden? How is that enforced?

Quite easily. The employees are given a lawful and reasonable instruction. Failure to comply may lead to serious consequences up to and including dismissal.

If not dismissed for the above, then any penalty for the original offence, if proven, may be treated even more seriously because it may be construed that the employee has a recent pattern of misbehaviour and/or following company policies.

 

[I love to travel]

Just saw a post on Reddit (that appears to have since been deleted maybe) about a serious incident involving a VA flight crew in Fiji.

Any goss?

It is back up and running and I have to say the comments are pretty off given the circumstances are unknown. Now I know why I don't usually read reddit

 

[Saab34]

Forbidden? How is that enforced? Just curious.

I’ll give a verbal warning with the associated dismissal message if anything is talked about, I will get a verbal confirmation and a witness also. I encourage them to seek out the Union as often they will keep them in line. I have issued a ‘Final Warning’ letter to an employee once, the occasion being for talking and spreading information around before the process started, which was lies anyway. I had him terminated before the process even finished purely to due talking outside the process, they just couldn’t help themselves. Legal and ER signed off on it.

The biggest headache in all the ER cases I’ve dealt with is keeping people in line during the process. Keeping people apart is key. So much he said, she said, glad I’ve moved on from dealing with all that stuff.

 

[DC3]

Quite easily. The employees are given a lawful and reasonable instruction. Failure to comply may lead to serious consequences up to and including dismissal.

Appreciate your input. I guess that ‘lawful’ comes into play here. My employer had once used that excuse in the past, but had a big fail because it was never lawful as it turned out. Lots of egg on face.

 

[DC3]

... I had him terminated …

I’m guessing that he wasn’t actually terminated, as such. Maybe his employment was terminated.

Edit: My employer always spares their life

 

[DC3]

Another coup attempt perhaps?

It’s okay, I’m just supporting the conjecture.

 

[straitman]

I find it intriguing that it does not differentiate between flight crew and/or cabin crew.

 

[I love to travel]

I find it intriguing that it does not differentiate between flight crew and/or cabin crew.

Virgin comment to CH 7 was so vague it suggests major comms strategy is being worked out as we speak. Whatever this is. It is not minor. It's the family being flown over that is really interesting Virgin are under no obligation to do this if it is a pure code of conduct issue.

 

[Blackadder]

All speculation, but consuming drugs purchased in Fiji at the hotel?

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Appears to have happened after a flight that arrived yesterday, and only being reported today, which makes me think something likely happened at a new year celebration last night. Family member being flown suggests non-minor injury or some form of sexual assault. Both would likely necessitate police involvement though.