Qantas plane grounded overnight at LAX
The pilot aborted the flight at the last minute, flattening four tires in a hard brake. A warning light apparently came on in the cockpit, but for unknown reasons.
A Qantas Airways jumbo jet bound for Sydney, Australia, on Monday night experienced a last-minute overnight delay at Los Angeles International Airport when the pilot aborted the flight, braking so sharply that four tires went flat.
The Boeing 747-400 was on the runway when the pilot hit the brakes after a warning light came on in the cockpit about 11 p.m., said Tom Winfrey, a spokesman for LAX.
Four tires deflated and the plane came to rest on an adjacent taxiway, Winfrey said. The aircraft's grounding didn't affect any other service at the airport, he added.
"It stopped safely," he said.
No injuries were reported, Winfrey said, but Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported a passenger who said she was feeling ill to a local hospital as a precaution.
The plane's 232 passengers and crew members were taken back to the terminal, while emergency crews responded to the scene, securing the area by midnight. Winfrey and Qantas Airways spokeswoman Agnes Huff both said they did not know why the warning light came on.
Flight No. 12 has been rescheduled to depart from LAX at 12:45 p.m. today, according to the Qantas website.
The affected airplane was towed off the taxiway and is undergoing maintenance. It will not be used in today's rescheduled flight, Huff said.
francisco.varaorta@latimes.com
