Passengers hoping for an uneventful flight from Brisbane International Airport (BNE) to Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) were surprised when the crew noticed 'something hanging from the wing.'

On December 31, Qatar Airways flight QR899 departed from Brisbane bound for Doha at 23:11, 16 minutes behind schedule, with an expected arrival time into Doha of 06:40 the following morning. However, only 15 minutes after takeoff, the airline stopped climbing at 10,000ft after noticing something suspicious something hanging from the wing.

The aircraft eventually landed back at Brisbane International at 00:30, meaning that all of its passengers celebrated New Year circling above Queensland. It is unclear how passengers were re-accommodated onto other flights; however, Qatar Airways released a statement that reads:

“QR899 from Brisbane to Doha has returned to BNE where it landed safely following a technical issue. Passengers are being assisted by ground services which includes providing hotel accommodation before resuming their journey at the earliest opportunity and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Pilot inspected the wing from the cabin

Passengers reported that one of the airline pilots visited the cabin and inspected the wing from the window with a torch. After the pilot assessed the issue, a decision was made for the aircraft to return to Brisbane for further investigation.

The New Year's celebration above Queensland for passengers was more eventful than expected, with the flight circling above the Gold Coast for almost two hours while the Boeing 777 dumped fuel, a standard practice of a fully loaded aircraft needing to land shortly after take-off, with a full tank.

Read the latest Boeing news here.

A7-BAI

The 14-year-old Boeing 777, registration A7-BAI joined Qatar Airways in October 2008, and frequently operates flights to and from Australia to its Doha hub. As per Flightradar24.com, the aircraft has remained on the apron at Brisbane International Airport, and was expected to depart at 02:25 as QR3165 on January 2. However, nothing has eventuated as yet.

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Second technical issue in a matter of days

As previously reported on SimpleFlying, another Qatar Airways flight also experienced technical issues on a flight from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) on December 28.

The Airbus A350-900, registration A7-ALN, operated as QR954 departed Doha at 09:15 but was diverted to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) three hours into its scheduled service due to precaution of a reported technical issue.

A replacement aircraft in the form of another Airbus A350-900 was then dispatched. Registered A7-ALY, this rescue flight picked up passengers in Mumbai and reached Jakarta with a delay of 11 and a half hours.

Sources: Doha News, Daily Mail, Rumorvilla, Aeroinside

• 

  Qatar Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  QR/QTR

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Doha Hamad International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1993

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  CEO:

  Akbar Al Baker

  Country:

  Qatar