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{{Infobox Airliner accident|
{{Infobox Airliner accident|

Revision as of 00:06, 26 July 2008


Qantas Flight 30
Occurrence
Date2008-07-25
SummaryIn-flight structural damage, Explosive decompression
SiteSouth China Sea west of Luzon
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 747-438
Aircraft nameNewcastle[1]
OperatorQantas
RegistrationVH-OJK
Flight originLondon Heathrow Airport
StopoverChek Lap Kok International Airport
Hong Kong
DestinationMelbourne
Passengers346
Crew19
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Survivors365 (all)

Qantas Flight 30 on 25 July 2008 was a flight from Hong Kong International Airport to Melbourne Airport which originated from London Heathrow Airport on 24 July. The flight was interrupted because of a sudden break of the hull of the plane. There were no injuries and the plane, a Boeing 747-438, serial number 25067,[2] made an emergency descent to a breathable altitude of about 10,000 feet and eventually made an emergency landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines.

In-flight occurrence

The flight left Hong Kong on 25 July shortly after 9:00 am HKT (01:00 UTC).[3] About an hour after departure, passengers heard a loud boom; the cabin depressurized and a hole in the floor of the passenger deck became visible, as well as a hole in the outside wall of the cargo deck. During the emergency, parts of the aircraft's floor and ceiling collapsed.[4] Passengers reported that, despite the noise and the deployment of the oxygen masks, there was very little panic.[5] The pilot rapidly decended from 29,000 feet to 10,000 feet to ensure a good oxygen supply for the passengers.[6]

Photographs taken after landing show a hole with a diameter of about 3 meters immediately in front of the right wing. Few details are known about the causes of the accident,[3][7] but in March 2008 when the aircraft's cabin was refurbished at Avalon Airport Qantas engineers noted extensive corrosion damage.[8] Experts initially speculated that a corrosive liquid, such a coffee, may have accidentally been allowed to corrode the inside of the plane, or that a freight or a maintenance vehicle may have damaged it.[9] Scotland Yard quickly dismissed the possibility of a bomb, although aviation experts said that it was one of the possible explanations being investigated.[9]

The airline, in a news release, said there were no reports of injuries.[10] Several passengers reportedly displayed signs of stress-induced nausea upon exiting the aircraft.[11]

Safety record

Qantas is well known for its claim that it has never lost a jet plane to an accident.[12] Although its safety record is impressive,[13] having not had a fatal crash since the pre-jet 1950s,[14] a recent bout of maintenance outsourcing was dogged by reports of sub-standard work.[15] A leaked 2006 Qantas audit concluded that maintenance work performed on one of its jets by the Singapore Airlines Engineering Company had "numerous quality deficiencies".[16]

The Telegraph reports that pilots and aircraft engineers have speculated that the incident is a direct cause of the perceived lowered maintenance standards of the airline, due to outsourcing of maintenance, which had been the subject of recent strikes of the companies Engineers.[8][17] Regarding the incident, an unnamed "Senior Qantas pilot" was quoted as distrusting the outsourced maintenance services which the airline seeks from Malaysia and Singapore.[8]

Investigation

At present, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is sending 4 investigators to Manila to conduct a detailed inspection of the aircraft[18], Qantas is also sending an undisclosed number of engineers to the site.[4][19]The US National Transportation Safety Board announced that they would be sending a team to assist in the investigation, including representatives from Boeing and from the Federal Aviation Administration.[20]

The ATSB initially referred to the occurrence as an incident, while the NTSB initially called it an accident.[21][20]

References

  1. ^ Jackson, Anthony (2008-03-06). "VH-OJK (CN:25067) Qantas Boeing 747-438" (Photograph). Jetphotos.net. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Maynard, Neale (2008-07-26). "Near disaster as Qantas jet plummets 20,000 feet". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b "Hole forces Qantas plane to land". BBC News. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  4. ^ a b "Qantas flight makes emergency landing in Manila". AAP via news.com.au. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  5. ^ Staff Writer (2008-07-25). "Irishman on faulty fuselage jet". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  6. ^ "Qantas Plane Dives 20,000 Feet After Hole Ripped Mid-Air in Fuselage". Associated Press via Fox News. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  7. ^ "Qantas jumbo makes emergency landing after mid-air drama". Agence France Presse. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  8. ^ a b c "Qantas plane has history of corrosion". The Daily Telegraph. 2008-07-26. Retrieved 2008-07-26. Cite error: The named reference "corrosion" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Aislinn Simpson, Bonnie Malkin (2008-07-25). "Qantas emergency landing could have been caused by spilled coffee". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  10. ^ "Qantas Flight Diverts to Manila" (Press release). Qantas. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  11. ^ Alexander, Paul (2008-07-25). "Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage". Associated Press via WTOPnews.com. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  12. ^ "Qantas safety record". 2008-07-25.
  13. ^ Maynard, Micheline (2008-07-26). "Hole in Fuselage Forces Jet to Land". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-26. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "The airline industry". The Guardian. 2008-07-25.
  15. ^ "Workers undermined by Qantas outsourcing". The Age.
  16. ^ Richard Baker (2008-07-21). "Foreign servicing of jets kept secret". The Age.
  17. ^ "Qantas engineers' strike disrupts Australian domestic, international flights". The Associated Press vis msn News. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  18. ^ "Boeing 747 diversion to Manila" (Press release). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  19. ^ Anjo Perez, Louie Perez. "Qantas with 365 passengers, crew lands safely at NAIA".
  20. ^ a b "NTSB sends team to Philippines to join Quantas 747 investigation". Washington, DC: National Transportation Safety Board. 2008-07-25.
  21. ^ "Aviation Safety Investigation Report AO-2008-053: Boeing 747-438, VH-OJK, Near Manila Philippines". ATSB. 2008-07-26.
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