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James Gota

Qantas Mayday

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Fifty injured in Qantas mid-air incident

 

UP to 50 people were injured when a Qantas Airbus carrying more than 300 people made an emergency landing in Western Australia.

 

The flight - QF72 from Singapore - made the landing at Learmonth Airport, near Exmouth at 3.30pm, PerthNow reported.

 

The flight experienced “a sudden change in altitude” before diverting to Learmonth, Qantas said.

 

“A number of passengers and crew sustained injuries, including fractures and lacerations, on board QF72 this afternoon en route from Singapore to Perth following a sudden change in altitude,” Qantas said.

 

“The flight, operated by an A330-300 aircraft with 303 passengers and 10 crew, diverted to Learmonth in Western Australia and landed at approximately 3.30pm local time.

 

“The flight had been due to land in Perth at 3.50pm.

 

“Emergency services, including medical attendants, met the aircraft on landing.”

 

It is not known what caused the incident, the airline says.

From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...2-12377,00.html

 

Rego VH-QPA

 

Not Qantas Again :angry:

Edited by James Gota

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Qantas sending two planes to bring the rest of the passengers to Perth. Royal Flying Doctor Service has also sent three aircraft to Learmonth to help transport the injured to the state capital Perth.

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Planes going to be 1 Boeing 767-300ER comin at 5:10 pm and Boeing 717-200 at 5:40 pm :pardon: comin to Learmonth

 

Qantas sending two planes to bring the rest of the passengers to Perth. Royal Flying Doctor Service has also sent three aircraft to Learmonth to help transport the injured to the state capital Perth.
Edited by James Gota

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We had a rough ride aboard 9M-XAA A333 last August during OOL-KUL flight. It got bumpy barely an hour after leaving OOL and ended a couple of hours before landing at KUL. Couldn't sleep, couldn't read, couldn't do anything with the constant shake. At LCCT bumped into the First Officer and he said it was due some funny headwind. In fact our flight was almost 1 hr longer than usual.

 

===

 

Accident: Qantas A333 near Learmonth on Oct 7th 2008, sudden inflight upset injures 33 people on board

 

By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Oct 7th 2008 08:39Z, last updated Tuesday, Oct 7th 2008 08:52Z

 

A Qantas Airbus A330-300, registration VH-QPA performing flight QF72 from Singapore (Singapore) to Perth,WA (Australia) with 303 passengers and 10 crew, experienced a sudden altitude change while enroute near the Australian west coast. The crew declared emergency and diverted to Learmonth,WA (Australia), where the airplane landed without further incident.

 

Approximately 30 passengers and 3 cabin crew suffered injuries, 15 of them serious injuries, namely broken bones and lacerations, the Australian Transportation Safety Board reported. The cause of the inflight upset is not yet known at this time.

 

Learmonth, located 1100km (600nm) north of Perth, has a 3000 meter runway and is mainly used by local gas- and oil companies. The nearest town is Exmouth.

 

The Flying Doctors have dispatched four airplanes to Learmonth to support the local hospital in Exmouth treating the injured.

 

http://avherald.com/h?article=40de5374&opt=0

 

===

 

Recent incidents on Qantas flights

 

A timeline of incidents raising Qantas safety issues in recent years.

 

2006 - March 8 - Flight QF5, with 408 people on board travelling from Singapore to Frankfurt, is damaged by a blown tyre shortly after take-off.

 

Oct 11 - Qantas flight from Darwin to Brisbane flies with a burning cloth in the engine.

 

2007 - Feb 3 - A Los Angeles-bound Qantas airliner with flames jetting out of one engine is forced to return to Sydney airport after dumping fuel.

 

March 21 - Qantas internal safety review leaked, questions whether overseas maintenance meets company standards.

 

May 3 - QF26 en route to Auckland turned back to Los Angeles after a mid-air engine problem.

 

July 8 - Engine panel falls from QF415 upon landing at Melbourne.

 

July 11 - Tyre bursts on plane landing at Sydney domestic airport.

 

July 18 - The Australian newspaper reports staples were used to hold wiring in place on a 747-400.

 

2008 - Jan 7 - Boeing 747 carrying more than 300 people loses power while approaching Bangkok.

 

Feb 20 - Landing gear fails on flight from Gladstone to Rockhampton.

 

March 25 - QF12 carrying 232 passengers aborts a takeoff at Los Angeles.

 

July 25 - QF30, with more than 350 people on board, forced to make an emergency landing at Manila airport after a mid-air explosion tore a car-sized hole in the fuselage. A oxygen cylinder is the suspected source.

 

Oct 7 - QF72 carrying 303 passengers and 10 crew, from Singapore to Perth, forced to make an emergency landing at Exmouth, in northern Western Australia, after experiencing a sudden change in altitude which sparked a mayday call.

 

AAP

http://www.theage.com.au/news/travel/austr...3145352093.html

 

Edited by Naim

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Laughing at this read and you find out :yahoo:

 

40 injured in mid-air incident in West Australia

 

 

Up to 40 people were injured when a passenger jet carrying more than 300 people made an emergency landing near Exmouth in West Australia following a mid-air incident Tuesday afternoon.

 

Sergeant Greg Lambert from the Western Australian police said the Airbus A320 owned by Australia's largest airline company Qantas landed safety at 1:35 pm WST (0535 GMT) at Learmonth Airport near Exmouth after a mayday call.

 

He said up to 40 people were injured during a mid-air incident but the nature of the mid-air incident is unknown, according to a report by Australian Associated Press.

 

Emergency services and medical staff were at the airport.

 

An emergency services worker said paramedics had boarded the Qantas aircraft and were tending to the injured.

 

Police said the plane was thought to be Qantas Flight 72 flying from Singapore to Perth.

 

The police spokesman said the injuries were thought to include broken bones and lacerations and there were varying reports on the number of the injured.

 

From http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6510959.html

 

 

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Its VH-QPJ Reason Laughing as it said Airbus A320 I never knew Qantas operated a A320 But Jetstar did. :ph34r: Can a A320 fit 300pax and economically fly SIN-PER with every pax bringing 25kg/ 30kg allowence baggage :help:

 

So, James, QPA or QPJ?
Edited by James Gota

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Its VH-QPJ Reason Laughing as it said Airbus A320 I never knew Qantas operated a A320 But Jetstar did. :ph34r: Can a A320 fit 300pax and economically fly SIN-PER with every pax bringing 25kg/ 30kg allowence baggage :help:

 

 

QPA is the actual aircraft involved, as also confirmed on the various message boards and lists. She's been doing the PER/SIN routing this week.

Edited by tsentsan

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Laughing at this read and you find out :yahoo:

 

40 injured in mid-air incident in West Australia

 

 

Up to 40 people were injured when a passenger jet carrying more than 300 people made an emergency landing near Exmouth in West Australia following a mid-air incident Tuesday afternoon.

 

Sergeant Greg Lambert from the Western Australian police said the Airbus A320 owned by Australia's largest airline company Qantas landed safety at 1:35 pm WST (0535 GMT) at Learmonth Airport near Exmouth after a mayday call.

 

He said up to 40 people were injured during a mid-air incident but the nature of the mid-air incident is unknown, according to a report by Australian Associated Press.

 

Emergency services and medical staff were at the airport.

 

An emergency services worker said paramedics had boarded the Qantas aircraft and were tending to the injured.

 

Police said the plane was thought to be Qantas Flight 72 flying from Singapore to Perth.

 

The police spokesman said the injuries were thought to include broken bones and lacerations and there were varying reports on the number of the injured.

 

From http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6510959.html

 

Making fun of a news story where people have suffered lacerations and possible spinal injuries is in somewhat bad taste.

Sounds like some air crew have been badly injured.

 

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Obviously no laughing matter this.

 

===

 

Passengers tell of being thrown into the ceiling after Qantas mid-air 'incident' injures up to 40

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Last updated at 5:01 PM on 07th October 2008

 

Passengers on a Qantas airbus that suddenly plunged thousands of feet have told of people being thrown into the ceiling, breaking bones and receiving cuts, as the pilot headed for a desert airstrip to make an emergency landing.

 

The terror on QF72 - as it flew from Singapore to Perth in Western Australia - left at least 12 passengers with what were described as 'extremely serious injuries', and many of the 303 people on board so traumatised that they insisted on continuing the rest of the 900 mile journey by road.

 

A number of British passengers were on the flight, although relatives and friends waiting at Perth airport for those well enough to travel on the replacement aircraft suggested most of those on board were Australians and Asians.

 

article-1070937-02EE866900000578-37_468x

Close call: A Qantas staff member is carried from a medical plane at Jandakot Airport after the near-tragic incident

 

The sudden loss of altitude, believed to be a result of the plane hitting air turbulence, resulted in people being hurled against the ceiling of the Boeing A330-300 and hitting it so hard holes were left in the panelling as the aircraft plunged a reported 8,000ft.

 

As well as the 12 seriously hurt passengers, another 24 were treated for lesser injuries.

 

The Air Transport Safety Board said the aircraft had experienced a "sudden in-flight upset" while cruising in "level flight".

 

It said most of the injured were travelling in the rear of the aircraft.

 

The airline said the problem was related to “a sudden change in altitude” but no details are yet available as to what caused the altitude change.

 

Among those on board was a 65-year-old British man who was celebrating his birthday on a round-the-world trip with his wife.

 

article-1070937-02EE88EF00000578-16_468x

A passenger is taken from the medical plane to hospital after the incident

 

The unnamed man's nephew, Barry Gear, who had been waiting at Perth airport before the drama, said he had heard no word of the couple's fate. Mr Gear's wife said: 'The hardest part is not knowing if they are OK or what happened to them.'

 

Also waiting at Perth airport was Lorraine Parler who had been hoping to greet an English pen pal of 51 years, making her first trip to Australia with her husband.

 

''Communications have been terrible, bloody terrible,' said Mrs Parler. 'It's been absolutely pathetic by Qantas. No-one knows what is going on and we just can't find out if our friends are injured or what the situation is.

 

'This is a lifetime dream for her coming to Australia - we have been writing to each other since we were 10.

 

'This poor woman's daughter has rung me three times from the UK because she has seen this on the news. She is stressed for her parents. What can I do? I'm very upset and we are being told nothing.'

 

Passenger Mrs Emma Whateley told her daughter Emma from the military airport carved out of the desert near the town of Exmouth - where the jet had made an emergency landing - that people had been 'flying around the cabin' when the aircraft dropped.

 

Mr Doug Wauchope recalled the dramatic events on board the plane as relayed to him by his friend, a Singaporean businessman.

 

article-1070937-02EDC8D700000578-663_468

Passengers disembark safely from the Qantas jet earlier today

 

Waiting for his colleague at Perth airport, Mr Wauchope said: 'My friend was sitting above the wing and all the people suddenly shot up.

 

'They left their seats and hit the roof with such force they damaged the roof panels.

 

'The captain was screaming on the PA for everyone to sit down and lock up.'

 

It was 30 minutes before the aircraft was able to make an emergency landing at the military airstrip, as ambulances from Exmouth sped to meet it and rush the seriously injured to hospital.

 

Their injuries included spinal damage and broken noses. A local journalist said the emergency ward at Exmouth was 'quite packed' with injured passengers.

 

Tonight the first serious casualties arriving at Perth on Royal Flying Doctor aircraft indicated the range of injuries suffered in the jet plunge.

 

Their injuries included head trauma, concussion, spinal injuries and fractures.

 

Qantas crew member Caroline Southcott was rushed to hospital with suspected head and spinal injuries, while a male passenger was ferried to hospital with a suspected broken leg.

 

Four other aircraft with uninjured passengers and others with less serious injuries were expected to arrive at Perth throughout the night. All of the city's hospitals were put on stand by.

 

The ATSB has initiated a safety investigation and was making arrangements for investigators to travel to Learmonth as soon as possible, it said.

 

It is the latest in a string of incidents forcing Qantas planes - once famous for their safety record - into emergency landings this year.

 

The most dramatic incident came in July when an oxygen cylinder exploded on board a Qantas jet, blowing a hole in its fuselage.

 

Miraculously all survived the incident.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/...injures-40.html

 

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Thanks for the pics, dr.

 

An excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald:

...

A Qantas spokesman said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the plunge, but the West Australian Police Commissioner, Karl O'Callaghan, said he understood the incident was caused by "some sort of systems failure".

...

Huh, a POLICE COMMISSIONER, knows more than a Qantas spokesperson. What? He got kinda insider, ie the pilots, or something? Or just try to be hero by making a wild assumption, hoping it would hit the right target? Or just ganna start pointing fingers? ahhh... don't start that again!

 

 

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=40de5374&opt=0

...

Qantas dispatched two airplanes to Learmonth to bring the passengers to Perth, a Boeing 767-300 registration VH-ZXC flight QF6122 and a Boeing 717-200 registration VH-NXH flight QF6200.

 

A serious Jetstream is affecting the area of the upset, see also http://squall.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_sohem_00.gif

Get to ride on such a classic is good enough to 'compensate' my bad day, if I was one of the pax... :good:

Click on the link above for the pic of the alleged jetstream.

 

 

 

...

It is the latest in a string of incidents forcing Qantas planes - once famous for their safety record - into emergency landings this year.

...

 

http://news.smh.com.au/national/australian...81007-4vxn.html

Australians losing faith in Qantas: poll

October 7, 2008 - 10:08PM

 

More than 60 per cent of Australians believe the safety standards of Qantas have slipped, according to a poll released on the same day as another incident involving the national carrier.

 

Thirty-six people were hurt, 20 seriously, when a Singapore to Perth international Qantas flight suddenly lost altitude over Western Australia on Tuesday throwing passengers from their seats.

 

UMR Omnibus, one of Australia's leading research and polling companies, said it surveyed 1,000 people two weeks ago on people's attitudes towards the national carrier.

 

The results, published on the UMR website, show 63 per cent of Australians believe the airline's safety standards have become worse over the last few years.

 

This compared with a figure of 52 per cent when a similar poll was conducted in early August.

 

Women, older Australians, low-income earners and Queenslanders were particularly concerned about Qantas's safety, the study found.

 

But two in three Australians still believed Qantas was a safe airline to fly with.

 

The August poll was carried out after two incidents involving Qantas in the previous month.

 

An exploding oxygen bottle punched a huge hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400, forcing an emergency landing in the Philippines, while a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract.

 

The September poll followed an incident in August involving a Manila-bound Boeing 767, which was turned back to Sydney after developing a hydraulic fluid leak.

 

UMR managing director John Udding, who was waiting at Perth airport at the time of the incident, had his Qantas flight cancelled because of the Airbus incident.

 

A UMR spokesman said Mr Udding would have liked to comment but was unavailable as he had been forced to take a late flight to Melbourne rather than his booked Sydney destination.

 

© 2008 AAP

 

Need I say more...? :pardon:

 

 

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And view the amateur vid here: http://livenews.com.au/MultimediaPopUp.asp...2237&cat=11

 

===

 

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

Qantas plane's interior substantially damaged in mid-air plunge

9:24 AM

 

SYDNEY: Video footage taken by a passenger aboard the Qantas Airbus A330 which reportedly plummeted 2000 metres mid-flight yesterday shows substantial interior damage.

 

WA police report at least 20 passengers and crew aboard the flight, QF72 from Singapore to Perth, were seriously injured suffering broken bones, lacerations and suspected spinal injuries.

 

At this stage the cause of the incident is unknown, but the scale of the fall - and a refusal by both Qantas and air accident investigators to cite turbulence, suggests it may have been a malfunctioning of the autopilot, and sudden diversion to avoid a mid-air collision or some other cause. AviationRecord.com cautions this has not been confirmed - it remains speculatory at this stage.

 

Amateur video footage taken by a passenger on the flight and posted on Livenews.com.au shows emergency personnel boarding the plane after its emergency landing at Learmouth, a remote town about 40km from Exmouth in northwestern Australia. As the camera pans, viewers can see substantial damage to the interior's ceilings, caused by passengers and hand baggage flying about the cabin during the descent.

 

The Airbus A330-300 was carrying 303 passengers and a crew of 10 when what Qantas describes as a "sudden change in altitude" occurred. The pilot broadcast an emergency Mayday call and landed the plane at the nearest suitable airfield.

 

Meanwhile, a team of five air accident investigators is now heading to WA to inspect the plane and interview passengers and crew. They'll join two despatched to the airfield last night.

 

http://www.aviationrecord.com/news-article...;articleId=1337

 

===

 

Passengers tell of horror aboard QF72

8/10/2008 7:14:00 AM.

 

Passengers aboard an international Qantas flight on Wednesday told of their horror as the plane plunged up to 2,000 metres over Western Australia, hurling people around the cabin, seriously injuring 20 of them.

 

The Airbus A330-300,with 303 passengers and a crew of 10 bound from Singapore to Perth, struck what Qantas described as a "sudden change in altitude" north of its destination about 1.30pm (WST) on Tuesday.

 

The pilots put out a mayday call shortly before making an emergency landing at Learmonth, about 40km from Exmouth on Western Australia's Gascoyne coast.

 

WA police said at least 20 passengers and crew aboard QF72 were seriously injured - some with spinal injuries and others with broken bones and lacerations.

 

They were flown to Perth on five Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft on Tuesday night and transferred by ambulance to city hospitals.

 

Up to 20 other passengers were treated for minor injuries.

 

Ben Cave, of Perth, who was among 280 of the passengers to be flown to Perth on two special flights on Tuesday night, said he had not been wearing a seat belt and had slammed into the cabin roof when the plane plummeted.

 

He said for a few seconds he had feared for his life and "saw a bit of a flash before me".

 

"We had a major fall and another fall shortly after," Mr Cave said.

 

"I hit the ceiling but I was okay, I only got a few bruises and strains. I just remember seeing that the plane was a mess."

 

Henry and Doreen Bishop, from Oxford, England and on their first visit to Australia to visit their daughter and grandson, said it was one of the worst experiences of their lives.

 

"Unfortunately some people who were walking back to the seats were the ones who copped it, as it were, when the overhead came down on them," Mr Bishop said.

 

"A little lady sitting opposite me hit her head on the roof.

 

"The crew were extremely good, the captain of course was brilliant to get us down, to take control the way he did, and the cabin crew were absolutely marvellous.

 

"People were screaming but they cut off any panic that might have started."

 

He said word spread among the passengers that the aircraft had plunged more than 2,000 metres in a matter of seconds.

 

"I put it down to life. The Titanic hit an iceberg, we hit an air pocket," he said.

 

Jim Ford, of Perth, said he thought he was about to die as he watched people being flung around the cabin.

 

"It was horrendous, absolutely gruesome, terrible, the worst experience of my life," he said.

 

Andrea Hutchins, 39, of Singapore, said some people appeared to be pinned to the ceiling of the plane or suspended in mid-air.

 

"The plane was dropping quite quickly so they actually stayed in the air and then they came crashing down," she said.

 

"It was pretty scary.

 

"The plane was a mess and there was just crap everywhere. A lot of panels in the ceilings had been damaged by the people that hit them.

 

"The people who were wearing seat belts, like myself, were okay.

 

"The people who were standing were the ones who got hurt the most. To be honest think it's a lesson in wearing seat belts."

 

Kwong Ket, of Perth, said "it all happened in a split second".

 

"The plane just dropped out of the air, the scene just changed from a tidy cabin into some terrible mess," he said.

 

"I was strapped in. A few around me did not have seat belts on. They hit the roof and it was really quite nasty."

 

The Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Wednesday the investigation into the drama could take up to six months, but a preliminary report could be completed within 30 days.

 

The investigators have quarantined the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Both recorders will be sent back to the bureau's Canberra headquarters for further testing.

 

While in WA, the investigators will attempt to interview crew and passengers.

 

Neither the ATSB nor Qantas would confirm that air turbulence was responsible.

 

http://livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/10/08...ror_aboard_QF72

 

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gosh! Naim thanks for the link on the video - just look at the roof panels inside the cabin! The injuries and the pain the passengers had to go through. I hope they are all being well taken cared of through recovery...

 

It goes to show - always always always, keep your seat belt fastened when seated......

 

"once famous safety record" a good way of putting it, notice an opportunity to blame here - due to outsourced technical operations to ......

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Computer glitch may be behind Qantas incident: ATSB

8/10/09

 

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has pointed to a possible computer problem as a cause for yesterday's Qantas emergency.

 

The Qantas Airbus was on route to Perth from Singapore when it descended suddenly, injuring more than 40 passengers.

 

The ATSB says until it can analyse the flight data recorders it can not determine the exact cause of the problem.

 

But director of aviation safety investigation Julian Walsh says the flight crew received a message of an irregularity in the elevator control system.

 

"The aircraft departed normal flight and climbed 300 feet, the aircraft did that of its own accord and then whilst the crew were doing the normal actions in response to that not normal situation the aircraft then pitched down suddenly and quite rapidly," he said.

 

Mr Walsh says an Airbus representative is currently travelling to Australia.

 

Injuries

 

Qantas says the pilot decided to make the emergency landing yesterday because of the injuries passengers received when the plane plunged unexpectedly.

 

Forty-six people were injured, 20 seriously, including some with spinal injuries.

 

Several passengers have reported hearing loud noises before the landing, but Qantas chief pilot Peter Wilson says he will not speculate on what happened.

 

He said the captain made a decision to land based on his training.

 

"He was aware that there were injuries on board and as such he made the decision to land at Learmonth, which was the closest airport," he said.

 

Captain Wilson says the plane is still at Learmonth where engineers are assessing it.

 

He has assured the public the airline has one of the world's highest safety records.

 

However Captain Wilson admits it has been a tough few months for Qantas.

 

"I think that's probably fair to say but again I wish to emphasise you know our safety record and the standard of our pilots and our crews is amongst the highest in the world," he said.

 

"The training, the money that is spent on them, and the training that they have, they are an extraordinarily professional and competent group of people."

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/08/2385305.htm

 

===

 

Qantas flight suffered computer 'irregularity'

October 08, 2008

 

AIR safety investigators say there was an "irregularity" in the computer equipment of a Qantas plane involved in a mid-air incident over Western Australia.

 

A second team of investigators is travelling to Learmonth, in the state's north, to find the cause of the incident, which injured about 20 passengers and crew on board flight QF72 travelling from Singapore to Perth.

 

The pilots sent a mayday call shortly before making an emergency landing at the regional airstrip, 40km from Exmouth on WA's Gascoyne coast.

 

Qantas today said the cause of the “sudden change in altitude” was speculation.

 

Australian Transport Safety Bureau director of aviation safety investigation Julian Walsh said the plane was travelling at 37,000 feet when the incident happened.

 

“The pilots received electronic centralised aircraft monitoring messages in the cockpit relating to some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system,” he said in Canberra.

 

The aircraft then climbed about 300 feet before “abruptly” pitching nose down.

 

Passengers arriving in Perth last night told of their horror as the drop threw them and their personal belongings across the plane.

 

Jim Ford, of Perth, said he thought he was about to die as he watched people being thrown around the cabin.

 

“It was horrendous, absolutely gruesome, terrible, the worst experience of my life,” he said.

 

Ben Cave, of Perth, said for a few seconds he had feared for his life and “saw a bit of a flash before me”.

 

“We had a major fall and another fall shortly after.

 

“I hit the ceiling but I was OK, I only got a few bruises and strains. I just remember seeing that the plane was a mess.”

 

Henry and Doreen Bishop, of Oxford, England, said it was one of the worst experiences of their lives.

 

“People were screaming but they cut off any panic that might have started...”, Mr Bishop said.

 

“I put it down to life. The titanic hit an iceberg, we hit an air pocket.”

 

A spokesman for Perth's Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital said one of the 20 passengers it treated last night was in a serious but stable condition. Eight people were under observation and 11 other patients were discharged, he said. Injuries included fractures, lacerations and suspected spinal injuries.

 

WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan was forced to activate the state crisis centre because of the number of injuries.

 

“It seems that there might have been some sort of systems failure, we're not sure yet, we're still waiting for further information,” Dr O'Callaghan told ABC Radio.

 

A further five ATSB investigators were on their way to Learmonth to join their two colleagues already on the ground.

 

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been quarantined and sent to Canberra for testing.

 

The Australian and International Pilots' Association today said turbulence was not uncommon on that flight path.

 

Captain Ian Woods said most modern passenger planes were built to cope with changes in altitude.

 

“When you cross those jetstreams as you do from Singapore to Perth ... you run across the transition boundary,” Capt Woods, also a Qantas pilot, told ABC Radio.

 

“It's at that point where you're crossing from smooth air to fast-flowing air, that there can be quite unexpected and significant turbulence.”

 

This could cause a “jet upset”, Capt Woods said.

 

“So if you're unfortunate enough to run into that, and it sounds like that's what's happened, then certainly it's unexpected and you can get outcomes like this.”

 

Capt Woods said turbulence was nothing pilots “can't cope with”.

 

“Aeroplanes have been ... refined over the years and if we go back to the 50s, then these kinds of events were worse than they are now.”

 

The incident is another blow to Qantas, which is still dealing with several problems this year, including an exploding oxygen bottle that punched a huge hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400, forcing an emergency landing in Manila.

 

A Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract, and a Manila-bound Boeing 767 was turned back to Sydney after developing a hydraulic fluid leak.

 

- AAP

 

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...28-2702,00.html

 

===

 

Qantas passengers tell of terror as Perth-bound plane plunges

By Lee Taylor, with AAP

October 08, 2008 11:28am

 

Qantas plane in sudden plunge

Passengers "pinned to ceiling", "feared for lives"

Faith in Qantas safety lost

 

PASSENGERS onboard the turbulent Qantas flight have described haunting images of children and babies hitting the ceiling of the plane.

 

While the incident left some with spinal injuries and others with broken bones and lacerations, many Qantas passengers have been scarred by the terrifying scenes.

 

"The poor little kid next to us, we watched him hit the ceiling and sit there for about three seconds, until his dad dragged him back into his seat," passenger Mark Bell told ABC news.

 

Another passenger, Mike Maxwell, said: "Some people were up for toilets and those sorts of things, and so they were the ones who really suffered worse I suppose and people obviously with young children and so on, babies hit the ceiling and come down again."

 

The Airbus A330-300 was carrying 303 passengers and 10 crew from Singapore to Perth when it experienced what Qantas has described as a sudden change in altitude.

 

The injured passengers were flown to Perth on five Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft last night and transferred by ambulance to city hospitals.

 

The Air Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident, while Qantas is conducting separate internal investigations as well, its chief pilot Captain Peter Wilson said.

 

Meanwhile a pilot from the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) said passengers should be better informed about the dangers of not wearing their seatbelts.

 

Captain Ian Woods said Qantas pilots and crew encouraged passengers to fasten their seatbelts at all times, but there was no regulation that required them to do so.

 

“I dare say that not enough passengers fasten their seatbelt when they're in aeroplanes,” he said.

 

“It shouldn't be interpreted as an option.”

 

Capt Woods said the industry and government should take steps to better educate people about seatbelt safety, but he said not wearing a seatbelt should not become an offence.

 

“Yes in some countries like the US, the regulations may be more stringently enforced because of litigation, but in other parts of the world, they will sit on the floor without seatbelts.”

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24464745-1702,00.html

 

 

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From ATSB's press con

 

http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/2008/release/2008_40.aspx

 

Qantas Airbus Incident Media Conference

 

08 October 2008

 

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was advised yesterday afternoon of an occurrence involving an Airbus A330-300 aircraft while on a flight from Singapore to Perth, operating as Qantas Flight 72. The aircraft, which had 303 passengers and 10 crew on board, was in normal level flight at 37,000 ft about 110 nautical miles north of Carnarvon and 80 nautical miles from Learmonth near Exmouth in north-western Australia, when the pilots received electronic centralised aircraft monitoring messages in the cockpit relating to some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system. The aircraft is reported to have departed level flight and climbed approximately 300 ft, during which time the crew had initiated non-normal checklist/response actions. The aircraft is then reported to have abruptly pitched nose-down. During this sudden and significant nose-down pitch, a number of passengers, cabin crew and loose objects were thrown about the aircraft cabin, primarily in the rear of the aircraft, resulting in a range of injuries to some cabin crew and passengers.

 

The crew made a PAN PAN emergency broadcast to air traffic control, advising that they had experienced flight control computer problems and that some people had been injured, and they requested a clearance to divert to and track direct to Learmonth. A few minutes later the crew declared a MAYDAY and advised ATC of multiple injures including broken bones and lacerations. The aircraft landed at about 1530 local time, about 40 minutes after the start of the event.

 

The ATSB understand that there were 14 people with serious but not life threatening injuries, which included concussion and broken bones who were taken by air ambulance to Perth. In addition, up to 30 other people attended hospital with possible concussion, minor lacerations and fractures, with up to a further 30 or so people with minor bruises and stiff necks etc who did not need to attend hospital. However, these casualty figures are subject to further clarification and confirmation. All passengers have been now been transported to Perth. Given the nature of injuries, the occurrence is defined as an accident in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization definition.

 

The ATSB has initiated a safety investigation and two investigators from the ATSB's Perth office travelled to Learmonth yesterday evening and commenced initial on-site investigation activities, which included securing the aircraft's Flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders. A further five ATSB investigators are due to arrive in Learmonth early this afternoon Western Australia time

 

An officer from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority with a type rating on the A330 has joined the ATSB team. In addition, the Bureau Enquetes-Accidents, or BEA of France, the French counterpart of the ATSB has assigned an accredited representative as the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft, to provide assistance to the ATSB investigation. An investigator who is a flight control specialist from the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, is currently travelling to Australia and will also assist the investigation team.

 

It is obviously very early in the investigation and too soon to draw any conclusions as to the specific cause of this accident. The ATSB investigation will explore all aspects of the operation of the aircraft, including through detailed examination of the Flight Data and Cockpit Voce recordings, aircraft systems and maintenance history, Air Traffic Control radar and audio recordings, and weather conditions. The ATSB will also be conducting a range of interviews with the pilots and cabin crew, and will also speak with passengers to examine the cabin safety aspects.

 

It is always difficult to predict how long an investigation such as this will take. While it is likely to take some number of months, the ATSB will release a Preliminary Factual report within about 30 days. Furthermore, should any critical safety issues emerge that require urgent attention, the ATSB will immediately bring such issues to the attention of the relevant authorities who are best placed to take prompt action to address those issues.

Without pre-empting any findings in relation to cabin safety issues and the wearing of seatbelts, this accident serves as a reminder to all people who travel by air of the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened at all times when seated in an aircraft.

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Just watched the TV news update,the Airbus had computer malfunctions which led to the incident.

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Been flying the "Cripple" 7 up and down the same route for years but never had any significant turbulence.

 

Our fellow MWinger Norhisham K had some sort of computer problem within probably one hour of the same position the Qantas "Scarebus" 330 had their event.

Norhisham K heroically brought the plane back to Perth without further incident. Aircraft was grounded while Capt Norhisham K was commended for recovering from the potentially hazardous situation.

 

This is very strange. Two FBW aircraft experiencing FCC related anomalies within an hour flying radius of each other.

 

Very interested to know more.

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Our fellow MWinger Norhisham K had some sort of computer problem within probably one hour of the same position the Qantas "Scarebus" 330 had their event.

Norhisham K heroically brought the plane back to Perth without further incident. Aircraft was grounded while Capt Norhisham K was commended for recovering from the potentially hazardous situation.

This is very strange. Two FBW aircraft experiencing FCC related anomalies within an hour flying radius of each other.

 

Aaa..must be this one:

MAS IN-FLIGHT UPSET; 240km NW Perth

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Wow... looks bad enough on the inside.. such great force to punch holes in the ceiling. And I wonder who was in the toilet seats that break it as well..

Computer glitch.. I wonder what Airbus has to say about this... Thanks for the pics links MIR..

 

And Capt Nik, two planes experiencing FCC abnormalities almost in the same airspace... Aussie Triangle?? kekkeke..More to coincidence i should say

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