Who left the stairs out???

[Adrian B]

Just read in The Australian

Aussie asylum take-off aborted after plane's stairs left hanging

A CHARTERED Airbus with a full load of 120 asylum-seekers and Australian officials had to abort its take-off from the Cocos Islands on Sunday night because its rear stairs were trailing along the tarmac.

The Australian said customs officials and customers at the nearby Cocos Island Club had to rush to the airfield apron, climb over the perimeter fence and run towards the plane waving their arms to alert the pilot to the problem.

When the plane stopped, an airfield manager used a radio to contact the pilot.

Australian electronics businessman Jack O'Donnell, who was at the Cocos Club, said people were shocked to see the plane trailing the rear stairs as it taxied on to the tarmac.

The trailing stairs caused a shower of sparks as the plane picked up speed.

O'Donnell said the "trailing stairs caused a hell of a racket and were sending out sparks".

When the pilot was informed, the rear door was opened and the stairs withdrawn into their separate hatch.

The pilot then recommenced the take-off.

A spokesman for the Air Transport Safety Bureau there had been no report received of the incident but it did expect one within the 72-hour reporting period.

[Nathan Bartlett]

Big woops!

[Steve Jones]

What Airbus has rear retractable stairs? Never heard of that!

[Radi K]

Strategic?

[Maikha Ly]

I like how the aircraft 'picked up speed' on the tarmac. By the looks of it the airport doesn't look big enough to swing a cat!

Also like how quickly the Custom's Officials were at the club (Assuming they were the ones after processing all the refugees and rushed to the club for a few cold ones) very much by the time the aircraft was taxiing for departure.


I don't know about the rest of you, I sense a few media creativity has made it into the article. None the less, it was an entertaining read

[Robert S]

Originally Posted by Maikha Ly

I sense a few media creativity has made it into the article.

Just slightly. The imagery of a bunch of customs officials and other "customers" of the club having sufficient time to leave the club, jump the fence and go running down the taxiways after an A320 could only come from the mind of a fiction writer. Entertaining, certainly.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Wasn't Strategic.

[Robert Zweck]

Someone at the pub obviously had one too many......

[Adam G]

Was it the Skytraders 319?

Not many Airbus's in Australia would have the airstairs installed & operational.

[Matt N.]

"A CHARTERED Airbus with a full load of 120 asylum-seekers and Australian officials"

If 120 pax was a full load maybe it was an A319 ?