Qantas passengers were hit by a six-hour delay after their flight was forced to turn back twice due to a bird strike.
The QantasLink Dash 8 took off from Adelaide and was bound for Port Lincoln, in South Australia, just before 8am on Saturday.
The plane was struck mid-flight, forcing the aircraft to circle over the Spencer Gulf before ultimately returning to base.
‘We were in the air for what felt like an eternity,’ passenger Barry Stribling told 7News.
‘They’d struck a bird in Port Lincoln. There was no mechanical service, so they had to come back to Adelaide.’
Flight 2581 was cleared to fly again, but it didn’t get far.
‘Didn’t even get halfway this time before they came over the PA again and announced they had a generator go out,’ Mr Stribling said.
Finally, six hours after their initial departure to Port Lincoln, the Qantas flight took off for a third time at 2pm.
Passengers (pictured) on a QantasLink flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln have been left shaken by separate mid-air dramas
The Qantas flight was forced to turn back twice
Imogen Evans and her partner were heading to a wedding where she was set to be the MC.
‘I’ll be there as soon as I can. I think I’ll be there in time for my stuff, but I’m devastated to miss the ceremony, it’s two of my best friends,’ Ms Evans said.
A Qantas spokesman apologised for the delay.
‘Safety is always our first priority,’ he said.
‘We appreciate the patience and understanding from our customers.’
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Qantas flight is forced to turn back twice after unexpected mid-air drama