ATSB reveals why Etihad pilots were right to reject takeoff at Melbourne Airport

Air safety investigators have announced why an Etihad flight was brought to a screeching halt on a Melbourne Airport runway.

An Etihad Airways aircraft left on the runway at Melbourne Airport for more than 12 hours after a rejected takeoff was experiencing an engine issue which could have compromised flight safety.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has decided against launching a formal investigation into the incident on the evening of January 5, saying the takeoff was rejected in line with “standard operating procedures”.

“During the takeoff roll for a scheduled passenger flight from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, the flight crew observed a high exhaust gas temperature indication from the aircraft’s right engine,” said an ATSB spokesman.

It’s understood such an indication can suggest other issues such as compressor or turbine damage, fuel system problems or combustion issues.

As a result of the warning, the pilots brought the Boeing 787-9 to a halt on the runway, which caused two of the aircraft’s ten tyres to deflate.

Etihad Airways’ flight making a high speed rejected takeoff at Melbourne Airport.

Emergency services responded to spray foam on the smoking landing gear, while efforts were made to source two new tyres.

The 289 passengers and crew on board disembarked via the stairs on the runway, which remained blocked by the aircraft until Monday morning.

The ATSB said it would not conduct an investigation, but the relevant information from the incident had been added to the bureau’s occurrence database.

Etihad said passengers were re-accommodated on alternative flights, and apologised for any inconvenience.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier operates eight flights per week from Melbourne, and plans to increase services from seven to 10 per week from Sydney by July.

Currently partnered with Virgin Australia, Etihad will go it alone from June as a result of Virgin’s deeper tie-up with Qatar Airways.

The Gulf carrier has one of the highest seat utilisation rates of any airline operating in and out of Australia, consistently achieving load factors of more than 90 per cent.

Since its establishment in 2003, Etihad has recorded no fatalities during passenger operations.

Originally published as ATSB reveals why Etihad pilots were right to reject takeoff at Melbourne Airport