Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Hi M1, am on 93 today.
The problem is a bird strike was identified on the walk around. Captain advised not a safety issue, but paperwork needed to send us on way.
At 9.30 told it would be probably be another hour...

Terrific post. The QF website 'flight status' hasn't caught up with that. Your delay may - I stress 'may' - mean a delay to the Saturday 4 May QF11 from LAX to JFK if it is held for connecting passengers ex MEL, and if so, a delay to the Saturday QF12 ex JFK and then QF12 to SYD and QF16 to BNE (which is why sometimes when there's such a delay, those from MEL are instead placed on AA flights across to JFK).

Good that the flight crew informed you, as their focus is on completing the documentation. Can such a report be submitted online by them?

Thank goodness it was not a more severe bird strike. While there are more flights operating than a decade ago, the number of bird strikes has risen in raw terms (though perhaps not when considered against the rise in aircraft movements).

However given there are far fewer aircraft movements at airports such as Darwin, Gold Coast or Townsville than there are at the 'big three' east coast capital city airports, it's more likely that a plane will be affected by bird strikes at these smaller airports:

Australian planes hit more than 16,000 birds in the past 10 years

One can't be definitive because a VA plane was recently hit by a flock of galahs in central Australia (ASP) but it'd be logical to expect more bird strikes at coastal airports in Australia's north where typically tropical or sub-tropical vegetation and higher rainfall means more birds per square kilometre around airports (even though airports are at pains to make their immediate enviironment as unattractive as possible to our feathered friends):

18 galahs hit as commercial airliner lands in Central Australia

 

[ayebee]

QF 93 update.
Just after my app updated to 10.30 departure, captain advised another 1.5 hours for the paperwork.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF 93 update. Just after my app updated to 10.30 departure, captain advised another 1.5 hours for the paperwork.

That's an extraordinary amount of time. Does a further engine inspection by engineers have to occur, or is it just bureaucracy?

The QF site has also been updated to show a departure at 1030 for QF93 - 90 late - but if your posts are coughulative, you're suggesting it'll be longer than that - to 1200 'high noon.'

In these circumstances, are cabin crew (if they were requested, directed to or wanted to) allowed to, or proscribed from, walking around distributing water (bearing in mind that there's a finite amount of that on board)?

 

[ayebee]

That's an extraordinary amount of time. Does a further engine inspection by engineers have to occur, or is it just bureaucracy?

The QF site has also been updated to show a departure at 1030 for QF93 - 90 late - but if your posts are coughulative, you're suggesting it'll be longer than that - yo 1200 'high noon.'

In these circumstances, are cabin crew (if they were requested, directed to or wanted to) allowed to, or proscribed from, walking around distributing water (bearing in mind that there's a finite amount of that on board)?

Cabin crew gave everyone water bottle after the original 30 min delay, when captain advised it was minor / not a safety issue and a matter of future maintenance planning.
No other info on severity etc, but there is a cabin full of patient folks here just chatting calmly, and wondering about onward connections.
With no apparent plans to unload, I assume it is not affecting safe operation.
It does seem like a long time for paperwork.

 

[Melburnian1]

...It does seem like a long time for paperwork.

ayebee, many thanks. Strangely the QF website has altered to suggest 1130 hours as projected pushback, not '1200' as you'd (via information from the flight crew) suggested. It's still only 1035 so you have more thumb twiddling under either scenario.

Connections will be missed but being an early morning scheduled LAX arrival, most routes (onward sectors) should have alternative flights, unlike a late night scheduled arrival that runs late.

The danger is that eventually, the crew are above their permitted maximum hours of duty but the good thing, if I recall, is that while this is 18 hours, it can be extended to 21 by agreement.

 

[Melburnian1]

The late afternoon Saturday 4 May QF73 (B744) is delayed from 1740 ex SYD to an expected 2100 hours tonight, with forecast SFO arrival at 1725, 205 late. Yet QF64, which often forms it, is only three minutes late, arriving at a suggested 1458 at the same gate number.

 

[ayebee]

ayebee, many thanks. Strangely the QF website has altered to suggest 1130 hours as projected pushback, not '1200' as you'd (via information from the flight crew) suggested. It's still only 1035 so you have more thumb twiddling under either scenario.

Sorry if I confused.
The extra 90 minutes was from the announcement at 10, so consistent with website.

 

[ayebee]

On 93, as we approach revised departure time, captain advised fuel was being added to fly faster.
Wondering how much faster it can go, but also hoping this means trying to minimise the delay for the JFK flight with us on board.

 

[ayebee]

Qf 93 seems to be on way...

 

[Melburnian1]

Yes, ayebee, safe travels, as on Saturday 4 May, QF93 (A388 VH-OQG) departed at 1209, 189 minutes late, taking off at 1222 to the south. It then tracked west, through Caroline Springs, almost as far as Bacchush Marsh to find its northeast track.

Subject to revision, at this stage it's showing as an 0915 hours same day LAX arrival, 170 late.

UPDATE: QF has changed suggested LAX arrival (at gate) to 0927, 182 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF7, the 1235 hours SYD - DFW (Saturday 4 May) did not push back until 1352. Predicted same day arrival is 1350, 50 late.

Earlier, QF19 (1210 hours SYD - MNL) departed 24 minutes tardy, taking off at 1251 hours but arrival is further delayed until 1926, 56 late. A333 VH-QPI has the task.

QF37 (1615 hours afternoon MEL - SIN) is expected to depart half an hour late.

 

[Silvia]

Continuing today QF132 CHC-MEL (B738 VH-VZW) is expected to arrive at 16 11, 61 min tardy.

 

[AIRwin]

QF1756 BNE-CNS. Delayed from 19:40 to 20:30 and then to 20:55 all over the course of a couple of hours. It's a QFlink B717. A late arrival into Cairns for us tonight

I was booked on the same flight and decided to call QF to ask that they cancel my ticket for a full refund when I started receiving notifications about the delay. I ended up flying on VA at 19:50 instead which was on final approach to CNS as my original QF flight was still boarding in BNE... Did you notice a no-show in seat 4F?

 

[Melburnian1]

Just realised the 717 is at 16. I'm now getting a notification every 30 seconds changing gate between 17 and 21. Up to 23 notifications now

Poor bigpetebrown! On Friday 4 May, B717 VH-NXQ (the 1940 hours BNE - CNS QF1756) was airborne at 2231, arriving at 0036 hours on Saturday 5, 151 minutes late. The aircraft had been 21 minutes early arriving in SYD at 1529 hours mid afternoon on QF1573 ex HTI, but then was on the 1535 hours SYD down to CBR QF1515 (obviously substituting for a failed aircraft) that did not take off until 1753, about two hours late. It then ran QF1550, the 1720 hours CBR up to BNE, taking off at 2001 and arriving in the Sunshine State capital (gate time) at 2133, 153 minutes late.

No wonder bigpetebrown hasn't surfaced today.

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-XZD on QF147 (Saturday 5 May, the 1600 hours SYD - AKL) took off at 1905 so the consequence is an expected 2355 hours arrival, 170 minutes behind schedule. It had arrived SYD 21 minutes early at 1429 this afternoon on QF92 ex NOU, so a standout reason for the delay is not apparent.

 

[JessicaTam]

QF117 SYD-HKG is delayed an hour this evening. 2120 -> 2220 due to an issue with the hydraulics that has now been fixed. It will be towed to the gate at 2100, cleaned, and ready for boarding at about 2150.

I drowned my sorrows at the delay with a glass of bubbly. Fortunately I have been consolable!

 

[Melburnian1]

QF117 SYD-HKG is delayed an hour this evening. 2120 -> 2220 due to an issue with the hydraulics that has now been fixed. It will be towed to the gate at 2100, cleaned, and ready for boarding at about 2150...

International flights scheduled within a couple of hours of a curfew at major airports worry me. Sure, 98-99 per cent of the time a late flight 'gets out' (and as a former aviator pointed out, the critical factor is that the flight crew have ATC permission to taxi by 2245 hours) but on occasion, delays result somehow in a flight being stuck overnight in the originating airport.

 

[bPeteb]

Once you are underway - I'm trying to be optimistic - I'll be able to ascertain which aircraft it is and hopefully track down what it's done today. It would be helpful if onboard, you asked the flight attendant whether the reason for the (continually extended) delay was that an aircraft had become defective, a pilot shortage, a staff member becoming sick with no available standby replacement or some other cause. If you could report back here, that'd be great. You'll have a really late night: not home/in hotel/with rellies at theirs until 0030 on Saturday morning the way you're (not) going.

I asked onboard and I was told it was just one of those days. Crewing issue earlier in the day had a snowball effect on qlink. The 727 at gate 16 eventually became the similarly very delayed Canberra flight. Captain told us we were waiting for arrival of a Canberra flight as reason for our delay. Three plus hours is a long wait. I think we flew on AOT but it was raining when we landed at about 00:35 and I just glanced up as we scurried across the tarmac

 

[Melburnian1]

QF117 SYD-HKG is delayed an hour this evening. 2120 -> 2220 due to an issue with the hydraulics that has now been fixed. It will be towed to the gate at 2100, cleaned, and ready for boarding at about 2150.

The flight on 5 May departed at 2232. Expected Sunday 6 May 2019 arrival is 0555 hours, 55 late.

QF19 (SYD - MNL) was better than predicted, arriving half an hour behind at 1900 but QF20 is suggested as pushing back at 2040 hours, 40 late for the trip back down to SYD.

UPDATE: QF20 did not depart until 2153, so Sunday 5 SYD arrival should be 0833 hours, 143 minutes late.

 

[JessicaTam]

QF117 SYD-HKG is delayed an hour this evening. 2120 -> 2220 due to an issue with the hydraulics that has now been fixed. It will be towed to the gate at 2100, cleaned, and ready for boarding at about 2150.

I drowned my sorrows at the delay with a glass of bubbly. Fortunately I have been consolable!

We landed and after a lengthy taxi were at the gate by about 0530, so only 20 minutes late in the end.

The CSM (Ian) made it very clear as we were boarding for everyone to get a wriggle on to beat the curfew.