Passenger reveals horror after Qantas flight's emergency landing: ‘An unsettling experience’
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When we think of flying, we often picture the excitement of jetting off to a new adventure or the convenience of swiftly reaching our destination.
But for passengers aboard QantasLink flight QF1624, their journey turned into a harrowing ordeal that had them fearing for their lives and reaching out to loved ones for what they worried might be the last time.
The flight, which took off from Perth on Monday afternoon, 21 October, was bound for the mining town of Paraburdoo in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
However, the routine trip took a dramatic turn when the aircraft suddenly entered a nose-dive, prompting an emergency landing in Geraldton.
Simon Rushton, a mining executive on board, recounted his ‘harrowing experience. He described the panic that spread through the cabin as passengers felt the plane lurching 'up and down' for about ten minutes.
'People on that plane, including myself, thought there was a very real possibility of us dying,' he said. ‘I was texting my loved ones.’
‘Everyone felt the kind of weightlessness you get when you go over a steep incline and was sort of like, “What's that?”’ Mr Rushton said.
'Pits of your stomach up in your throat, it was not pleasant at all.’
'The pilot came over the airwaves and said that everyone—including cabin staff—needed to immediately put their seatbelts on securely and get into the brace position.'
Passengers were warned to expect a significant impact upon landing, followed by several minor ones.
Upon landing, emergency vehicles were already on the tarmac, a precaution that underscored the severity of the situation.
Network Aviation's chief pilot, Evan Bartlett, later explained that the priority landing was necessitated by a mechanical issue with the autoflight system.
'We understand why customers were concerned about the diversion to Geraldton last night, after the aircraft had an issue with the autoflight system,' he said.
'Our pilots and crew are highly trained to handle situations like this. Following attempts to troubleshoot the issue, the crew made the decision to divert to Geraldton Airport.’
'The crew followed standard safety procedures, which saw customers instructed to take the brace position as a precaution for landing.’
'The aircraft landed normally in Geraldton, and we are now undertaking a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the mechanical issue.’
'We understand this was a distressing experience for those onboard and we sincerely apologise. We're in the process of contacting all customers to provide our support.'
Despite the successful landing, Rushton felt that the airline's description of the event as 'an unsettling experience' was ‘considerably downplaying it’.
Qantas has since apologised for the distress caused to passengers and is in the process of contacting all customers to offer support.
While emergency services were present as a precaution, a Qantas spokesperson stated they were not needed. The plane was later returned to Perth, and passengers were rebooked on new flights.
Have you experienced in-flight emergencies? How did the airline handle it, and how did it affect your feelings about flying? Share your stories in the comments below.
But for passengers aboard QantasLink flight QF1624, their journey turned into a harrowing ordeal that had them fearing for their lives and reaching out to loved ones for what they worried might be the last time.
The flight, which took off from Perth on Monday afternoon, 21 October, was bound for the mining town of Paraburdoo in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
However, the routine trip took a dramatic turn when the aircraft suddenly entered a nose-dive, prompting an emergency landing in Geraldton.
QantasLink flight QF1624 made an emergency landing in Geraldton as it entered a nose-dive. Credit: Qantas
Simon Rushton, a mining executive on board, recounted his ‘harrowing experience. He described the panic that spread through the cabin as passengers felt the plane lurching 'up and down' for about ten minutes.
'People on that plane, including myself, thought there was a very real possibility of us dying,' he said. ‘I was texting my loved ones.’
‘Everyone felt the kind of weightlessness you get when you go over a steep incline and was sort of like, “What's that?”’ Mr Rushton said.
'Pits of your stomach up in your throat, it was not pleasant at all.’
'The pilot came over the airwaves and said that everyone—including cabin staff—needed to immediately put their seatbelts on securely and get into the brace position.'
Passengers were warned to expect a significant impact upon landing, followed by several minor ones.
Upon landing, emergency vehicles were already on the tarmac, a precaution that underscored the severity of the situation.
Network Aviation's chief pilot, Evan Bartlett, later explained that the priority landing was necessitated by a mechanical issue with the autoflight system.
'We understand why customers were concerned about the diversion to Geraldton last night, after the aircraft had an issue with the autoflight system,' he said.
'Our pilots and crew are highly trained to handle situations like this. Following attempts to troubleshoot the issue, the crew made the decision to divert to Geraldton Airport.’
'The crew followed standard safety procedures, which saw customers instructed to take the brace position as a precaution for landing.’
'The aircraft landed normally in Geraldton, and we are now undertaking a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the mechanical issue.’
'We understand this was a distressing experience for those onboard and we sincerely apologise. We're in the process of contacting all customers to provide our support.'
Despite the successful landing, Rushton felt that the airline's description of the event as 'an unsettling experience' was ‘considerably downplaying it’.
Qantas has since apologised for the distress caused to passengers and is in the process of contacting all customers to offer support.
While emergency services were present as a precaution, a Qantas spokesperson stated they were not needed. The plane was later returned to Perth, and passengers were rebooked on new flights.
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