Qantas jet blows tires at take-off in LA

[Wilber Tan 0]

AP - An official at Los Angeles International Airport says an Australia-bound Qantas jet carrying hundreds of passengers blew four tyres while trying to take off and got stranded on the runway.

 

Airport spokeswoman Treva Miller says none of the 232 passengers or crew on Qantas Flight 12 to Sydney was hurt in the incident.

 

Flight operations at the airport were not expected to be affected.

 

Miller says the pilot aborted takeoff after he noticed a warning light go off as he took the Boeing 747-400 down the runway at 11.05pm (1705 AEDT).

 

 

 

 

The plane came to rest, stuck on an adjacent runway.

 

Emergency personnel got everyone off the jet without incident.

 

The passengers were taken to hotels and would be placed on flights to Sydney later today, a Qantas official said.

 

 

©AAP 2008

[Alex L 0]

AP - An official at Los Angeles International Airport says an Australia-bound Qantas jet carrying hundreds of passengers blew four tyres while trying to take off and got stranded on the runway.

 

Airport spokeswoman Treva Miller says none of the 232 passengers or crew on Qantas Flight 12 to Sydney was hurt in the incident.

 

Flight operations at the airport were not expected to be affected.

 

Miller says the pilot aborted takeoff after he noticed a warning light go off as he took the Boeing 747-400 down the runway at 11.05pm (1705 AEDT).

 

 

 

 

The plane came to rest, stuck on an adjacent runway.

 

Emergency personnel got everyone off the jet without incident.

 

The passengers were taken to hotels and would be placed on flights to Sydney later today, a Qantas official said.

©AAP 2008

 

Yep. The plane was Wunala Dreaming, VH-OEJ. New ETA of QF12 is 2100 tomorrow (Wednesday night). Now this might stuff up Qantas schedules again.

 

Alex.

[Simon 3]

How would this happened? Was it strucked by debris left by aircraft that took off first?

[Karlm 0]

How would this happened? Was it strucked by debris left by aircraft that took off first?

 

Tyers would have burst upon the rejected takeoff procedure. The aircraft goes into heavy braking mode. Tyers problably would have stopped rotating and caused them to heat up or scrape along the runaway causing the tyers to brust.

 

Happens all the time.

 

 

Just yesterday too, a Virgin Blue 737 burst its tyers in OOL. But this was upon landing.

[Keith T 2]

I guess this attracted media attention because 1) it's a long haul international flight; 2) it's Qantas - any small incident is media fodder along the lines of "omg I can't believe they're still the world's safest airline."

 

And yes it'd seem that the aborted take off was the direct cause:

 

http://www.theage.com.au/news/travel/us-to...6207142428.html

 

Australian and American passengers have recalled the dramatic moments as the Boeing 747 braked heavily on the runway and blew three tyres.

 

The Sydney-bound plane, with 232 passengers and crew aboard, was speeding down the runway when the pilot noticed a warning light in the cockpit.

 

The pilot aborted takeoff and passengers were told to "brace".

 

Three tyres on the Boeing 747-400 blew as the fully-loaded plane made the emergency stop.

 

"They put the brakes on pretty heavily and the crew yelled out 'Brace. Heads down' so we all assumed the brace position," Australian passenger Greg Evans told the Los Angeles affiliate for US TV network, NBC.

 

"The plane felt like it was skidding just slightly but I think they were just trying to slow the plane up as quickly as possible."

Edited March 26, 2008 by Keith T

[Keith T 2]

Here's a more sensational take on the incident by the Herald Sun (tabloid):

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...371-661,00.html

 

SCREAMS filled the cabin on a Qantas flight bound for Sydney last night after the take-off was abandoned at high speed following a "cockpit alert".

 

The 217 passengers on board Qantas Flight 12 were given no warning the jet had to be stopped mid take-off from Los Angeles airport, with the impact blowing out the Boeing 747's four tyres.

 

...

 

Passenger Samantha Thomas last night told The Daily Telegraph the screams of frightened passengers filled the aircraft while others were thrown forward into seats.

 

"It started to take off and everything was fine. The nose of the plane was actually lifted up and we were going at full speed when suddenly the pilot slammed on the brakes," she said.

 

"Everyone was flying forward as the top of the plane slammed back down on the runway. Everyone was thrown around and some people were screaming. It was just crazy."

 

"We're all in shock"

 

...

 

Now Ms Thomas said after the "traumatic" aborted flight, she is unsure if her mother will ever fly again.

 

"The worst thing is that they didn't tell us what was happening. We're all in shock," she said.

[Wilber Tan 0]

Here's a more sensational take on the incident by the Herald Sun (tabloid):

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...371-661,00.html

 

oh my, the plane is already rotating huh...

quite d fortunate they all safe. . . .

heavy braking and nose slammed back down the runway..hehe..

 

so pls dont forget to fasten ur seat belt b4 during take off and landing!!

 

wat an exciting experience they have..