On Thursday there were technical problems on Austrian Airlines flight OS 177, carried out with the DHC Dash 8-400 with the registration OE-LGK. The turboprop aircraft built in Canada was on its way from Vienna to Stuttgart. The captain decided to turn around and land back in Vienna-Schwechat.
But first of all, the most important thing: The two pilots landed the DHC Dash 8-400 safely at Austria's largest airport. The passengers were then brought to Stuttgart on a replacement aircraft (Embraer 195). Due to the involuntary turnaround, flight OS 178 (Stuttgart-Vienna) was delayed.
The reason for the unusual situation for the passengers was a simple seal that costs little, too. This failed, which resulted in a slight but clearly noticeable pressure drop in the cabin. A spokesman said it was the cargo door seal. This was determined by the company's own technical operation and has already been remedied.
According to Austrian Airlines, the flight captain immediately initiated a rapid descent from around 8.000 meters to around 3.000 meters. A short-term air emergency was also declared, but this was then withdrawn. The pressure drop is said to have been clearly noticeable for the 21 passengers and four crew members who were on board the OE-LGK. All travelers were able to leave the DHC Dash 8-400 undamaged and the 21 guests were then brought to Stuttgart in an Embraer 195.
Incidentally, the load factor on this flight was around 28 percent. The DHC Dash 8-400 machine type has 76 seats at Austrian Airlines. Of these, 21 were occupied by passengers, resulting in a rounded 28 percent load factor.
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