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A Qantas 737 has returned to service after being forced to turn back to Melbourne Airport due to fumes in the flight deck.
The eight-year-old 737-800 (similar aircraft pictured), VH-XZL, departed Melbourne (Tullamarine) as flight QF769 to Perth at 9:52am on Sunday morning, 23 April, but returned to the airport about an hour into the journey after the crew reported the smell of fumes in the cockpit.
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A “precautionary emergency response” was activated at the airport, but proved unnecessary as the plane landed without incident. A Qantas spokesperson told Australian Aviation that there was no mayday call, and no smoke in the cockpit.
“Following standard procedure, the Captain declared a priority landing (PAN) and returned to Melbourne. The aircraft landed normally and passengers were transferred to an alternative aircraft. Engineers inspected the aircraft and it was cleared to return to service,” the spokesperson said.
VH-XZL today resumed service as flight QF612 from Melbourne to Brisbane, departing at 10:29am and landing without incident at 12:27pm before returning to Melbourne as flight QF623 at 2:21pm.
The incident is the second this month involving an eight-year-old 737-800 at Melbourne Airport, after a Rex aircraft reported smoke in the cabin on 11 April.
VH-MFM landed at 11:23am as flight ZL-37 from Sydney after smoke was reported from the aft lavatory, according to a spokesperson for the airline.
“The crew were able to isolate the problem by following standard operating procedures. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800NG, had 146 passengers on board all of whom disembarked normally once the aircraft had taxied to the gate,” the spokesperson said.
