Qantas A380 fault strands 443 passengers

A Qantas A380 has been grounded in Melbourne, stranding 443 passengers who were
stuck on the tarmac for more than four hours.
The Airbus super jumbo, in service for just days, was due to take off from Melbourne
bound for Los Angeles at midday (AEDT) on Monday.
Passengers now face a 23-hour delay, with a mechanical fault forcing the aircraft's
departure to be rescheduled for 11am Tuesday.
Flight QF93 was initially delayed one-and-a-half hours because of a fuel gauge
fault. It was taxiing when the problem recurred, forcing take-off to be aborted.
Passengers remained on board while maintenance crews examined the problem. They were
not allowed to disembark because of heightened security procedures for US-bound
flights that made re-screening passengers impractical.
At 5.15pm Qantas cancelled the flight altogether when it became apparent the crew
would exceed their on-duty time limits.
"It's over-nighting tonight due to a fuel indication defect," Qantas spokesman Simon
Rushton said.
"Ultimately, we weren't able to rectify the issue before the pilot and cabin crew
exceeded their operating hours."
Mr Rushton said passengers were given refreshments and were able to use the
in-flight entertainment system during the on-board delay.
They would be accommodated in hotels on Monday night or receive free transport home
and back to the airport.
Mr Rushton said the plane involved was the newest in the Qantas fleet, having only
arrived at the end of December.
The fuel gauge problem had not been experienced before with the Qantas Airbus, he said.