Drama unfolding at Melbourne Airport, TigerAir flight in trouble

AN UNUSUAL odour has been blamed for the hasty landing of a plane carrying almost 70 people at Melbourne Airport this morning.

The Tigerair A320 aircraft, flight TT511 from Brisbane, made a priority landing just after 10am.

The source of the smell, which the crew reported in the cockpit cabin, will now be investigated.

Paramedics assessed four people at the scene.

Those treated did not need to go to hospital.

Tigerair, in a statement, said: “A Tigerair service from (Brisbane to Melbourne TT 511) landed safely at around 10:05am today without incident at Melbourne Airport after an unusual odour was detected in the cabin on descent.”

“Emergency services were on standby to meet the aircraft in Melbourne, which is standard for an event of this nature,’’ the airline said.

“The aircraft will undergo an engineers’ assessment in Melbourne.”

Tigerair said the flight was given “priority landing”.

UPDATE: paramedics are assessing four people (not three) at @Melair following reports of a hazmat incident #melair #melbourne

— Ambulance Victoria (@AmbulanceVic) February 29, 2016

All passengers on board the plane walked off unassisted.

Four cabin crew underwent medical assessment as a precaution and were given the all-clear.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics — responding to the “hazmat incident” — assessed four people.

Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester said the flight crew reported an odour in the cockpit and cabin on approach to Melbourne.

“There were reports that crew members were taken ill,’’ he said.

“Emergency plans at the airport were immediately activated; the flight was provided priority landing and the flight landed safety around 10am.

“Fire and emergency services were on standby and the Victoria Ambulance attended to a number of passengers.

Mr Chester said airservices and emergency services “worked seamlessly in parallel today to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew onboard.”

Melbourne Airport originally listed Tigerair flight TT511 as landing at 9.58am, and the airport was scheduled to unload passengers at gate 18.

The plane departed Brisbane at 6.40am with 1 hour and 58 minutes flying time.

An Airservices Australia spokesman confirmed the odour, initially reported as smoke, was logged with air traffic control during the flight.

Melbourne Airport enacted its airport emergency plan with paramedics, fire crews and police at the scene.

A media conference was already scheduled this morning at Melbourne Airport to announce a five-year partnership extension between Tigerair and NRL club Melbourne Storm.

The media conference, scheduled for 10:30am, was held up for more than 45 minutes.

Tigerair chief executive Rob Sharp was whisked away following the announcement and refused to comment.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate.