Qantas probed after mid-flight incident injures 15

Sydney

FIFTEEN passengers were hurt after a Qantas plane's alert system warned of an imminent stall as it approached Hong Kong, Australian transport safety officials said on Thursday as they launched an investigation.

Flight QF29 from Melbourne to Hong Kong was about 100 kilometres from its destination last Friday when a "stick shaker" alert occurred. The warning causes the control stick to shake noisily, informing pilots that the plane is about to stall. "The flight crew disconnected the autopilot and manoeuvred the aircraft in response," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said, adding that there was "airframe buffeting".