Passengers aboard an Air Canada flight to Sydney enjoyed an unusual experience as they arrived Down Under — participating in a search-and-rescue mission to find a sailor stranded off the coast of Australia.
Air Canada Flight AC033 was nearing the end of its 16-hour flight from Vancouver when it got a call from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Tuesday morning. Officials needed help locating a sailor who had issued a distress call. They’d launched a search for the yacht and wanted the Boeing 777-200LR to provide air support. An Air New Zealand A320, heading to Sydney from Auckland, also was summoned.
According to Air Canada, the captain determined he had sufficient fuel to make the assist and made a slight detour to join the search about 275 miles off the coast. Then he asked the 270 passengers aboard to help out.
via Wired
