EXCLUSIVE: Oprah Winfrey's Australian Trip Could Be Grounded By Qantas Airplane Malfunction
Nov. 4 2010, Published 5:19 a.m. ET
On Thursday, Qantas Airlines- the company Oprah Winfrey intends on using for the John Travolta-piloted flight for her audience- grounded its entire fleet of A380 Airbuses after a craft carrying more than 440 passengers and 26 crew members was forced to land when part of one of its engines disintegrated in mid-flight. Breaking Celebrity News has the talk show host’s current plans for the trip following the harrowing incident.
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The flight, which originated in Singapore and was destined for Sydney, was abandoned 15 minutes after take off after passengers heard a loud bang, accompanied by smoke and sparks sputtering out of an engine, as the plane hovered over Indonesia.
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No one was hurt, the airline said, adding that the plane was safely diverted back to Singapore, and arrangements were being made for those aboard in terms of lodging and substitute flights.
"We have commenced our own investigations as to how this incident occurred and have notified the ATSB," the company said in a statement Thursday. "We will continue to work with them as they investigate the issue. The flight crew carried out standard procedure for this situation."
Qantas added that "it has suspended scheduled A380 takeoffs until sufficient information has been obtained about what occurred.”