Three people were assessed for minor injuries after an unusual incident at Canberra Airport on Thursday morning, the Australian Federal Police say.
The incident occurred on a Link Airways SAAB 340 turboprop passenger aircraft bound for Sydney, scheduled to leave Canberra Airport about 8am.
Shortly after take-off, a ratchet strap attached to a propeller punctured the side of the plane, with one of its ends appearing inside the cabin.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the strap had been used to secure the propeller overnight and had not been removed.
The aircraft returned to the airport after just 14 minutes in the air.
"Transport safety investigators from the ATSB's Canberra office have deployed to Canberra Airport to inspect the aircraft, to begin the process of interviewing the flight crew and passengers, and to gather other relevant information for the investigation," Mr Mitchell said.
A spokeswoman from the Australian Federal Police said three people were assessed for minor injuries on the tarmac by the ACT Ambulance Service.
In a statement, Virgin Australia Group — a partner of Link Airways — said the crew followed standard operating procedures once they became aware of the incident, and nobody had been hurt.
"The aircraft landed safely at Canberra airport and there were no physical injuries to passengers or crew on board," a spokesperson said.
"All guests have disembarked safely and we are assisting both Link and authorities with their investigations."
Canberra Airport CEO Stephen Byron said there were no other delays to the airport's operations.
