QANTAS: Flight returns to Sydney after cockpit smoke

A Qantas flight returned to Sydney Airport less than half an hour after taking off due to smoke in the cabin.

QF643

A little after 9 am, Monday 3 March, QF643, and the 8:40 am flight, Perth-bound using a Boeing 737, returned to Sydney Airport as a result of smoke being detected in the cockpit.

The pilot requested a priority landing. It is understood that some were only in the cockpit and not in the rest of the cabin.

As is routine in such circumstances, the plane was met by emergency services upon landing. The aircraft was able to taxi back to the gate.

The incident caused no injuries, nor was a mayday declared.

A Qantas statement to some media outlets indicated that this incident was well within pilot training parameters. The spokesperson recognised how ‘unsettling’ this incident was for passengers, and apologised for the inconvenience.

Engineering will investigate the matter, to ascertain the cause and resolve the issue.

An additional Qantas flight, departed at 11:30am to service the affected passengers.

2PAXfly Takeout

Such incidents are always upsetting for passengers, but in my experience, Qantas staff handle them well. They provide enough information to assuage passengers’ fears without overcomplicating the situation.

I have no inside information on the incident, but it seems consistent with the maintenance issues that come with managing an ageing fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.