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They should also apologize for their baseless accusations on behalf of their trigger happy senior pilot...

media damage has been done...

 

 

 

Exploding oxygen tank one theory of QF30

Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

 

Liam Houlihan and Shannon Deery

 

July 27, 2008 12:00am

QANTAS chief Geoff Dixon yesterday said he was "horrified" by a mid-air disaster that ripped a hole in a jumbo jet.

And Mr Dixon said the airline had no idea of the cause.

Mr Dixon held a conference in Sydney to apologise to passengers of QF30 as investigators hinted that an exploding oxygen tank could have been behind the accident.

"I'm sorry (passengers) were subjected to what was obviously such a frightening experience, but everyone is safe," he said.

"I was horrified. I think that this is a very, very serious incident. We are not downplaying it."

But many expressed dismay no one from Qantas was in Melbourne to meet them and apologise for their ordeal as they landed at the airport yesterday morning.

A global investigation was launched into what caused a giant hole in the Qantas 747-400 at 9000m.

An exploding oxygen tank or luggage item or puncture caused by a loose panel were cited as possible causes as experts rejected corrosion as being to blame.

Officers from Australian, Philippines and US transport bodies converged on the plane in Manila last night.

Among them were Qantas investigators and four Australian Transport Safety Bureau officers.

"It is early days and we just don't know what we're dealing with here, other than we've got a hole in the side of an aeroplane," ATSB spokesman Ian Brokenshire said.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said: "There's a lot of talk it could have been an oxygen bottle blast, which would go up into the cabin."

Qantas head of engineering David Cox said all of the plane's servicing was undertaken in Australia, adding he did not rule out returning the plane to the skies. "I would think it's repairable," he said. Passengers told of their worries about the 17year-old jumbo. David Saunders, of St Kilda, said he had a bad feeling about the plane.

"The first thing I saw on the plane was a panel hanging off," he said. "Then I saw the seal on the door looked old and worn, then I noticed there was water coming through the ceiling.

"I thought I was going to die. I thought we were going down into the sea. I just grabbed my passport out of my bag and put it in my pocket so that if my body was found they could identify it quicker."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...221-661,00.html

 

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Apparently the papers in Australia have been getting their information from "local aviation "engineering" forums" - this is the potential source of the baseless accusations against Malaysia. Also, it represents the naiive nature of the Australian print ant TV media for using unsubstantiated claims as a source for their stories - a classic case of sensationilsed journalism! Way to go! :hmph:

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Man, this is one scary thing to see a big hole there.

 

But, luckily no one is injured during the flight.

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Apparently the papers in Australia have been getting their information from "local aviation "engineering" forums" - this is the potential source of the baseless accusations against Malaysia. Also, it represents the naiive nature of the Australian print ant TV media for using unsubstantiated claims as a source for their stories - a classic case of sensationilsed journalism! Way to go! :hmph:

 

Aaaaaaah....keyboard warriors......no wonder so daring wan.....

 

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Today's interesting news snippets ...

 

===

 

#1

 

Flying kangaroo is also a very lucky one, again

 

* Ben Sandilands

* July 27, 2008

 

IGNORE the spin. Qantas is lucky it is not explaining why 365 passengers and crew were killed on flight QF30. If this had happened on a long trip far from a landing strip, the aircraft could have crashed.

 

As with another of its Boeing 747-400s, which suffered a serious electrical failure on January 7 while close to its Bangkok destination, Friday's drama happened close to an airport, and in clear skies. Pure luck.

...

 

READ MORE HERE: http://www.theage.com.au/national/flying-k...eu.html?page=-1

 

===

 

#2

 

Luggage blast could have holed jet

 

* Barbara McMahon in Sydney

* The Observer,

* Sunday July 27 2008

 

An explosion in the luggage hold or a broken panel could have caused the near-tragedy on the Qantas jumbo jet which was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday.

...

 

READ MORE HERE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/ju...ustry.australia

 

===

 

#3

 

Oxygen masks faulted on Australian jet: reports

 

SYDNEY (AFP) — Oxygen masks failed to work properly when a Qantas jumbo jet plunged thousands of metres after a hole appeared in the side of the plane in mid-air, passengers said in reports published Sunday.

 

Some said they were forced to share a mask when the Qantas Boeing 747 ran into trouble, while others panicked when they failed to open.

...

 

READ MORE HERE: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ge1Mzw...Z9qk14wrcPP65kg

 

===

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Maybe bottle 'Made in Malaysia'? :angry:

 

===

 

Oxygen bottle missing

 

July 27, 2008 - 4:07PM

 

An oxygen cylinder is missing from the Qantas 747 jumbo that was forced to make an emergency landing after a mid-air explosion punched a hole in its fuselage, an Australian investigator said in Manila today.

 

"It is too early to say whether this was the cause of the explosion," Neville Blyth from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) told a media briefing in Manila this afternoon.

 

"But one of the cylinders which provides back up oxygen is missing."

 

Meanwhile, the Associated Press said Blyth told the conference investigators had found no sign a bomb caused the hole.

 

He said tests for bomb residue were negative and Philippine officials had bomb-sniffing dogs go through the hold, finding no indication of explosives.

 

Qantas ordered to inspect every oxygen bottle

 

Qantas has been ordered to urgently inspect every oxygen bottle aboard its fleet of 30 Boeing 747s after the mid-air explosion.

 

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority expects the inspections to begin by tomorrow and be finished within a few days.

 

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said Qantas would be asked to check each oxygen container and the brackets holding the containers.

 

"It will be a visual inspection and it is a precautionary step," Mr Gibson said.

 

"The inspection will take a couple of hours for each plane so it will take a few days to do them all."

 

CASA is investigating whether an exploding oxygen container was responsible for ripping a jagged hole in the fuselage of flight QF30 from London to Melbourne.

 

The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 8800 metres with 346 passengers aboard when it was shaken by the blast.

 

Major implications for 747s

 

If the blast was caused by an oxygen container, such a finding would have major implications for 747s around the world, Australia's aviation safety authority said today.

 

Passengers aboard Flight QF30 had just been served a meal after a stopover in Hong Kong when they heard a loud bang, then their ears popped as air rushed out of the three-metre hole.

 

Oxygen masks dropped from some, but not all, of the overhead lockers as the jet descended rapidly and debris flew through the cabin.

 

The aircraft managed to land safely minutes later at Manila Airport, leaving passengers and crew unhurt but badly shaken.

 

Four Australian Transport Safety Bureau experts were today continuing their inspection of the aircraft that started yesterday.

 

Boeing and the US National Transportation Safety Board were also sending specialists to assist, but as it involved an Australian aircraft in international airspace the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the investigation.

 

CASA said an exploding oxygen container was one possibility being examined by investigators.

 

"There are two cylinders located pretty much exactly where that hole appeared," CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said today.

 

"We cannot just say that is the cause, but clearly the fact that two oxygen bottles are in that location, and clearly this was damage caused by some sort of outward pressure, obviously that means that is a key aspect of the investigation.

 

"It is emergency oxygen for the flight deck.

 

"Not every 747 is going to have these exact oxygen bottles on them," he added.

 

But he said that if proven, it would have major implications for the Qantas 747 fleet and for other airlines.

 

He discounted a report that corrosion was to blame, but the issue of corrosion in general would be investigated.

 

The US Transportation Security Administration said initial reports indicated no link to terrorism.

 

Oxygen masks failed to drop

 

Meanwhile, some passengers said their oxygen masks failed to work properly during the crisis, almost causing some to pass out.

 

Beverley Dawes of Phillip Island in Victoria said she was one of four passengers who were unable to access the oxygen masks.

 

Mrs Dawes said a door in the aircraft ceiling failed to release the masks which had to be accessed by a flight attendant who had to open the door manually.

 

"I caught her eye as she was racing along with a portable oxygen thing she was wearing," said Mrs Dawes. "She put something up and they [the masks] went down."

 

Mrs Dawes said there was "a bit of a panic" when the masks didn't fall, describing the pressure onboard as "unbelievable".

 

"It seemed like an eternity, but I think it was a few minutes. We're very lucky."

 

Other passengers, while applauding the pilot and crew's performance, told of having to share oxygen masks between three people because of faulty or broken emergency equipment.

 

"Ours didn't come down, and my husband just about [passed out] because he didn't have any oxygen for about three minutes," Beverley Doors told ABC Radio.

 

Passenger David Saunders said one man in front of him smashed the ceiling panel in order to force his mask to come down, and that children were screaming and flailing.

 

"Their cheeks and lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen," he said.

 

Boeing spokeswoman Liz Verdier said the design of the Qantas jet included dozens of oxygen tanks located throughout the lower fuselage, including below the passenger compartment where the hole is.

 

Qantas chief executive officer Geoff Dixon said he was "horrified" after seeing pictures of the aircraft's gaping hole. He said it was too early to speculate on the cause.

 

"There are thousands of aircraft flying around the world today. Things happen. Something has happened here and we cannot speculate any more about what did happen," he said.

 

AAP and agencies

 

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/check-bo...ge#contentSwap1

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Well, thankfully the passengers even had Oxygen - they could well have been provided a lethal dose of nitrogen instead:

 

See below: source http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pro...7568332267.html

 

Probe after Qantas pumps wrong gas into jets

Matthew Benns

December 16, 2007

THE AGE - MELBOURNE

 

POTENTIALLY fatal gas being pumped into passenger jet emergency oxygen tanks in Australia has sparked a worldwide safety investigation.

 

The Australian Safety Transport Bureau confirmed yesterday that Qantas engineers accidentally put nitrogen into the emergency oxygen tanks of a Boeing 747 passenger jet at Melbourne Airport.

 

The Australian carrier immediately checked the oxygen supplies of more than 50 of its planes that had been serviced by the mislabelled nitrogen cart at the airport. But an aviation source said: "This could have affected hundreds of planes worldwide. Any international jet that passed through Melbourne and was serviced by Qantas could have had nitrogen pumped into its oxygen tanks."

 

Health experts warned that in an emergency the effects of nitrogen in the oxygen tanks could have potentially fatal results.

 

Dr Ian Millar, hyperbaric medicine unit director at The Alfred hospital, said: "If there was an emergency and the pilot took nitrogen instead of oxygen, instead of gaining control of the aircraft he would black out and it would be all over. It's a pretty serious mistake."

 

Nitrogen, which is non-flammable, is commonly used at airports to fill aircraft tyres. The aviation source said: "Qantas took delivery of the new nitrogen cart 10 months ago. It looked exactly like the old oxygen cart. When the attachments did not fit they went and took them off the old oxygen cart and started using it."

 

The mistake was eventually spotted by an aircraft engineer. "He was walking around the plane and asked what they were doing. When they said they were topping up the oxygen, he said, 'No you're not, that's a nitrogen cart'," said the source.

 

The incident was reported to the Civil Aviation Safety Bureau, which confirmed that an investigation detected nitrogen in the crew oxygen tanks on the Boeing 747-300. A bureau spokeswoman said it was a one-off incident.

 

But the aviation source said: "This has affected at least 175 planes and Qantas has had to tell any other airline that has been serviced in Melbourne to check out its oxygen supplies."

 

Air New Zealand was told about the problem six weeks ago. "As a result of receiving that letter we did take some precautionary measures," a spokeswoman said. "The oxygen tanks on a small number of planes were removed, checked, reserviced and refilled. No irregularities were found."

 

A spokeswoman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said: "Very clearly they (Qantas) needed to carry out a risk assessment because there was a chance that other aircraft were affected.

Edited by Sandeep G

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Got home on yesterday's (as in Sunday) QF30, was quite uneventful in comparison. ;) Talk on the plane was the QF30 decompression incident, seatmate's ex gf is a QF FA and happened to be working on that flight. They also handed out newspapers with the QF30 incident on the front page - i hope there weren't any nervous/first time flyers onboard.

Sensational experience on QF as usual, will write more in my TR. Updates to continue within 24 hrs - promise!

 

Anyway... the latest:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/qantas-p...80727-3lqc.html

 

INVESTIGATORS have found fragments from an oxygen bottle blasted throughout the baggage compartment on the Qantas Boeing 747 that was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila after a mid-air explosion on Friday.

 

The discovery of fragments embedded in baggage and in the compartment's ceiling strongly supports the view that one of several cylinders exploded, tearing a three-metre hole in the fuselage and forcing the pilots to descend rapidly for thousands of feet.

Edited by Keith T

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Read this op/ed by a 'senior QF pilot', and guess who his bogeyman is.

 

naim

 

===

 

Risk at five miles

Article from: Herald Sun

 

Ian Woods

 

July 28, 2008 12:00am

 

THE emergency landing of QF30 and the passengers' emotions was a reminder of the effect the loss of an Australian airliner would have.

 

It is still too early - and would be improper - to apportion direct responsibility for the damage to the fuselage.

 

But it was the skill, efficiency and thorough training of Captain John Bartels and his crew that brought the aircraft in safely.

 

It is only natural that such a serious incident should put into the minds of the flying public the issue of safety of Australian aircraft in a time of strain and change for the airline industry.

 

No airline that wants to stay in business would intentionally operate dangerously, but in an unregulated, market-dominated aviation environment, many airlines would choose, or are likely to be forced, to adopt the minimum safety standard.

 

The Australian aviation industry has been built on a foundation of some of the best safety standards in the world.

 

Australians have always demanded a big buffer between the minimum necessary to keep passengers and crew members alive and the safety standards traditionally acceptable in this country.

 

Unfortunately this buffer is disappearing fast.

 

It's a safety dividend that is fast being spent as aviation is increasingly being seen as just another private business, subject to the free market and all of the forces that go with it.

 

As a consequence, the safety buffer traditionally enjoyed in Australia is under attack and is being reduced, not to dangerous levels but to the "minimum" level.

 

The minimum standard is much more insidious than outright dangerous standards.

 

Obvious danger would be immediately opposed.

 

The question is, would people mind flying in Australia under the global minimum standard or should we fight to retain our higher Australian standards?

 

The generations of pilots who have built and operate Australia's world's-best aviation system think we should.

 

That is why pilots and our engineering colleagues are battling right now to protect those higher Australian safety standards from being replaced with lower global minimum standards.

 

In my view, it's a battle that is being lost.

 

International experience shows that competition in aviation - the same competition that gives $40 airfares - can drive profits down to unsustainable levels, making our traditional level of safety investment simply too expensive.

 

The result is likely to be that some airlines, even major ones, will be forced to adopt low-cost standards or perish in the competitive market.

 

Five miles up in the sky is an unforgiving environment. Our pilots know this and have never accepted the minimum as good enough.

 

In the past, when "holes in the Swiss cheese" have lined up, it has often been Australia's traditionally higher standards that have undoubtedly saved the lives of pilots and passengers.

 

The trouble nowadays is, the majority of an airline's safety actions - and in particular, the things that have differentiated our Australian standards from the global minimum - are not visible to the customer.

 

If your airfare is less than the cab fare to the airport, then the "incredibly safe" standards you have come to expect in Australia are probably not wholly applicable to your flight, although it will be implied that they are.

 

And where they still are, they will certainly be under intense cost pressure to be reduced.

 

Of course, the airlines will be outraged and reply that they would never fly dangerously. I agree, they absolutely would not.

 

But "not dangerous" is very different from our traditional philosophy of "excessively safe".

 

Quite simply, it's just not possible in a deregulated $150-a-barrel oil market to operate to the safety standards we have come to expect when you are paying $49 for your airfare.

 

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has the job to ensure that Australia's world-class standards are being met. Its performance in recent times has been well below par, and CASA seems happy to permit airlines to reduce their standards to a bare minimum, with little objection being raised.

 

The staff simply don't seem to have the tools to do their job, given the current highly competitive airline market.

 

My concern is that CASA appears more interested in the financial well-being of airlines rather than in the safeguarding of safety standards.

 

Australia needs to acknowledge our higher safety standards and to ensure they are protected by a tough and determined safety regulator that will not be influenced by commercial factors.

 

CASA needs to be rebuilt into an effective body with a prime safety mission and independence from the industry it regulates.

 

Aviation is not simply "just another business", and market forces alone cannot guarantee it is safe and viable.

 

Ian Woods is a Qantas Boeing 747 captain and president of the Australian and International Pilots Association

 

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...5000117,00.html

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you are spot on right, they seem to think that their standard is highest in the world, surpassing "lower global minimum standards"

 

excerpt from post #62

 

The question is, would people mind flying in Australia under the global minimum standard or should we fight to retain our higher Australian standards?

The generations of pilots who have built and operate Australia's world's-best aviation system think we should.

That is why pilots and our engineering colleagues are battling right now to protect those higher Australian safety standards from being replaced with lower global minimum standards.In my view, it's a battle that is being lost.

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you are spot on right, they seem to think that their standard is highest in the world, surpassing "lower global minimum standards"

 

excerpt from post #62

 

The question is, would people mind flying in Australia under the global minimum standard or should we fight to retain our higher Australian standards?

The generations of pilots who have built and operate Australia's world's-best aviation system think we should.

That is why pilots and our engineering colleagues are battling right now to protect those higher Australian safety standards from being replaced with lower global minimum standards.In my view, it's a battle that is being lost.

 

Funny how they say its high standard when they can mistakenly replace Oxygen tanks with Nitrogens.. halo.. anybody home in the brain?!!

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Australian safety standards is the highest in the whole UNIVERSE!!!!

 

Auwwwww ... gimme a break! Am now at Changi and that dang AK127 from KUL arrived here 25min early, so I have time to kill. That's better than world class, no? :D

 

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you are spot on right, they seem to think that their standard is highest in the world, surpassing "lower global minimum standards"

 

excerpt from post #62

 

The question is, would people mind flying in Australia under the global minimum standard or should we fight to retain our higher Australian standards?

The generations of pilots who have built and operate Australia's world's-best aviation system think we should.

That is why pilots and our engineering colleagues are battling right now to protect those higher Australian safety standards from being replaced with lower global minimum standards.In my view, it's a battle that is being lost.

 

In all fairness, Australian Aviation standards ARE higher than the required minimum standards for Airline compliance globally. But then again, so it is in Malaysia. At least for MH, our standards also far exceed the minimum required as laid out by our DCA, which is in itself higher than ICAO. The variable is in the self enforcement of these standards.

 

While I do not appreciate what was said by the 'Senior QF Pilot' I do not think it is fair to generalise all Aussies as such. He is probably a poor uninformed lackey.

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I read with concern the snipey posts that grossly overgeneralise Australia and Australians. Whilst I am sympathetic to some of the frustrations expressed in this thread, it is starting to get extremely weary to read post after post of Oz-bashing. If the subject of some of these posts were people from a minority group - it'd be considered racism. And sadly not the first thread either... All I'm saying is, please do not equate the Australian media and the Qantas unions to 'the Australians.'

 

...I do not think it is fair to generalise all Aussies as such.

 

Thanks, Nik H.

Edited by Keith T

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Nik - you are not being fair in quoting my comments that generalized Aussies - I would have said specifically or typed in "Australians" if I meant that.

"they" obviously meant Qantas (or to be specific now that you raised the issue - the party who wrote the circular that was posted here)

I have some family members in Australia too and do not appreciate if they said the same thing to us Malaysians...

 

 

 

In all fairness, Australian Aviation standards ARE higher than the required minimum standards for Airline compliance globally. But then again, so it is in Malaysia. At least for MH, our standards also far exceed the minimum required as laid out by our DCA, which is in itself higher than ICAO. The variable is in the self enforcement of these standards.

 

While I do not appreciate what was said by the 'Senior QF Pilot' I do not think it is fair to generalise all Aussies as such. He is probably a poor uninformed lackey.

 

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Nik - you are not being fair in quoting my comments that generalized Aussies - I would have said specifically or typed in "Australians" if I meant that.

"they" obviously meant Qantas (or to be specific now that you raised the issue - the party who wrote the circular that was posted here)

I have some family members in Australia too and do not appreciate if they said the same thing to us Malaysians...

 

Adrian, i did not mean you in the last statement about generalisation. I was referring to the general tone of some of the others who alluded to such on this thread. I quoted you to clarify your highlights about the 'high standards' of aviation there.

 

Back to topic, Ian Woods is the Pilot Union/Association President and his statement has undertones of a typical Unionist. I was there before and walked the same path 10 years ago.

Edited by Nik H.

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I can understand the uneasy sentiments some Aussies may have, its exactly the same thing that happened when Malaysia was instantly put in bad light as a scapegoat. This is an instant reaction by all (just like your concern to the posts here)

in fairness - the magnimity of media exposure in comparison (International Media against just MW forum - perhaps a little bit more understanding from our Aussie counterpart here please) Please understand the feelings of Malaysians as the Aussie media (or whoever that is responsible) generalized Malaysia on the whole (and Singapore the last time) So some of Malaysians may feel, hence some may respond "Australians" a point of reference.

 

To be fair, as a Malaysian I feel most of the threads here do not specifically bash Australians but the responsible party on the whole. It's easier to use "they" and "them" (some even use Australians) as a term of reference, this is a forum for enthusiasts - not anti Australians or anti Malaysians for that matter. It will be rather tedious for everyone to specifically mention the correct party involved, The Qantas Union or whoever that is specifically responsible in place of they and them. Its a forum filled with different people of different writing styles.

 

In the spirit of Malaysian Wings forum - everyone is entitled to their thoughts, expressions and writing styles (in decent decorum as a base). Misquoting specifically another forumer(me) has created unwarranted ill-feelings for another is part and parcel in a forum - it just needs clarifications BUT most importantly exercise caution before you quote someone.

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Qantas Defends Safety Record After Emergency Landing

 

July 28, 2008

Australia's Qantas Airways defended its maintenance and safety record on Monday after one of its Boeing 747s was forced to make an emergency landing in the Philippines due to a hole in its fuselage.

 

Qantas has been ordered to check all oxygen cylinders on its fleet of 747s after investigators said an exploding oxygen bottle may have ripped a hole in the plane, triggering a loss of cabin pressure during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne last Friday.

 

"I can confirm that number 4 cylinder from the forward cargo hold of the aircraft is missing and unaccounted for," Neville Blyth, senior investigator from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), told reporters in Manila.

 

He said parts of the valve of the cylinder and its handle were found on the cabin floor of the plane or near the hole in the fuselage, but the cylinder itself was missing.

 

These parts would be analyzed, Blyth said, but he refused to speculate on what could have happened.

 

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the carrier was still waiting to be given full access to the aircraft, which remains on the tarmac in Manila, but said the plane was in good condition when it left Hong Kong.

 

"We believe everything on that aircraft was in good shape when it took off," Dixon told reporters, adding that major maintenance work on the plane had been carried out in Australia. He said he could not speculate on what caused the hole.

 

"Incidents do happen. This is a tremendously bad one, and it's one we regret," he said.

 

Dixon hands over charge of the airline in November to Irishman Alan Joyce, who heads Qantas' no-frills carrier Jetstar, Qantas announced on Monday. The announcement came after a string of belt tightenings because of high fuel costs.

 

Qantas has 225 aircraft around the world and a reputation stretching back almost 90 years as one of the safest airlines. Dixon said the company was determined to maintain its strong safety record.

 

"I'd be disappointed at anything ruining Qantas' safety record. It is an enviable record," he said.

 

"The flip side to this of course is our reputation for operational excellence and training came through, in that our pilots and our cabin crew just performed tremendously under much pressure, during a very, very bad accident," Dixon said.

 

Passengers reported hearing a loud bang before the aircraft rapidly lost altitude and said the Boeing 747-400 had a hole the size of a mini-van on the right of its fuselage when it landed.

 

The ATSB said flight QF30 made an emergency descent from 29,000 feet to 10,000 feet. All 346 passengers and 19 crew disembarked safely in Manila.

 

Blyth said investigators in Australia were interviewing the crew and had asked passengers to give details of what they saw or heard. The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were being analyzed, he added.

 

(Reuters)

 

Qantas CEO To Retire, Jetstar CEO To Replace

 

July 28, 2008

Qantas Airways named Alan Joyce as its new chief executive on Monday, with Geoff Dixon retiring after eight years heading Australia's largest airline.

 

Joyce, head of Qantas's low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, will take over when Dixon steps down after the annual shareholder meeting in November, Qantas said. Dixon has been chief executive since 2000. Joyce, 42, will join the board on Monday.

 

"Geoff and Alan will work together over the next four months to ensure a smooth transition and continuity," said Qantas Chairman Leigh Clifford.

 

"Alan is, we believe, the best person to take Qantas forward in what is a very challenging environment," he said.

 

Qantas said on July 18 it would cut 4 percent of its work force, the airline's fifth belt-tightening in three months as fuel prices soar.

 

The world's airlines stand to lose more than USD$6 billion this year if fuel costs remain at current levels, the International Air Transport Association estimated recently.

 

Joyce has worked in aviation for 20 years and was appointed CEO of Jetstar in October 2003. He spent around 15 years in leadership positions at Qantas, as well as at the now defunct Australian airline Ansett and Ireland's Aer Lingus where he spent eight years.

 

(Reuters)

 

 

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Some updates:

 

In a press conference on Sunday (Jul 27th) ATSB investigator Neville Blyth stated, that no traces of any explosives have been found. He carried on referring to the oxygen cylinders: "In the vicinity of the damage we are missing one cylinder. The areas around the damage will be inspected. We are obviously looking for evidence on where that cylinder may have gone.". He answered further questions: "I can not speculate as to the probability of that cylinder having caused the damage."

 

In a statement on Monday (July 28th) the ATSB said, that a number of parts, amongst them part of a valve, were discovered in the vicinity of the hole. It is unclear however, whether these parts belong to an aircraft system, the ATSB continued. In an unprecedented move the ATSB calls for all passengers to supply pictures and videos taken on board. All passengers are going to be surveyed, those reporting problems with oxygen masks will be interviewed. The ATSB is concerned about media reports, that not all oxygen masks in the passenger cabin operated as expected. Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders have arrived in Canberra, where the analysis will be performed.

 

ATSB investigators said on Tuesday (July 29th), that the cockpit voice recorder (recording length two hours) was overwritten during the emergency landing, so that the actual sounds immediately before and during the decompression are no longer available. An oxygen cylinder (#3) mounted immediately adjacent to the missing one (#4) shows no damage at all.

 

The ATSB reported on Wednesday (July 30th), that the first analysis of data from the flight data recorder show, that the airplane descended from FL290 to FL100 in 5.5 minutes, average sink rate 4000 fpm. Part of an oxygen cylinder and a valve entered the passenger cabin and struck a door handle, turning the door handle towards its open position, however the handle was sheared as designed if an attempt to open the door in flight is being made, the gear lock mechanism was still in the locked position. 484 oxygen masks have deployed in the passenger cabin, 418 of them have been activated (346 passengers), but only a few of them had the retaining strap adjusted. All three ILS receivers and the anti skid systems were not available for landing due to damages, all other aircraft systems including VOR/NDB were available. The ATSB will release a preliminary factual report within about 30 days.

 

 

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Probe confirms oxygen tank responsible for Qantas explosion

 

Updated 1 hour 28 minutes ago

 

Australian air safety investigators have confirmed an oxygen tank was responsible for an explosion which caused a mid-air emergency on a Qantas 747 flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne last week.

 

The jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila after the blast blew a large hole in the fuselage.

 

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's (ATSB) Julian Walsh says preliminary investigations reveal an oxygen tank shot up from the cargo bay, through the cabin and into the ceiling.

 

The tank hit the handle on an exit door.

 

"I think it's fair to say for something to penetrate the floor and to move the handle, that component was travelling at some significant speed," he said.

 

Our reporter, Siobhan Heanue, says investigators also found a small number of oxygen masks in the plane did not deploy.

 

"The team found that most of the oxygen masks had deployed correctly from the passenger modules and had been pulled to activate the flow of oxygen to the mask," the ATSB said in a statement.

 

"Only a small number of masks appeared to have had the elastic retaining strap adjusted by the passengers.

 

"It also appears that a small number of masks did not deploy from the passenger modules.

 

"Investigations into this aspect of the accident are continuing."

 

The bureau says it intends to interview Qantas cabin crew and passengers who encountered problems with their oxygen masks.

 

The ATSB has also confirmed that the Qantas flight crew handled the situation well.

 

"From the evidence gathered to date it appears that the flight crew have responded to and managed the emergency situation extremely well," the statement said.

 

"It is apparent that they followed the procedures they have trained for in simulators, which ensured the best possible outcome for the aircraft, the passengers and crew."

 

The ATSB is asking any passengers who managed to photograph or video the in flight drama to come forward.

 

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stor....htm?tab=latest

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Oxygen Bottle Parts Blew Into Qantas 747 Cabin

 

July 30, 2008

Investigators looking at whether an exploding oxygen bottle blew a large hole in the side of a Qantas 747 said on Wednesday part of a bottle burst into the plane's cabin and partly moved a door lock.

 

The Qantas 747-400 suffered a loss of cabin pressure during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne last Friday, forcing the plane to make an emergency descent from 29,000 feet to 10,000 feet before landing safely in Manila in the Philippines.

 

Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators have been examining oxygen bottles in the plane's hold, and said part of one bottle had blown through the floor of the passenger compartment and moved a door handle towards the open position.

 

"There was never any danger of the door opening," ATSB director Julian Walsh told reporters.

 

He said the impact sheared the door handle, which was designed to break if someone attempted to open the doors in flight, and the door latches remained locked.

 

Qantas has been ordered to check all oxygen cylinders on its fleet of 747s.

 

The plane has been moved into a hangar in Manila as investigators continue to examine data from the plane's flight data recorder, which shows flight QF30 made an emergency descent from 29,000 feet to 10,000 feet in five minutes.

 

Passengers reported a loud bang before the depressurisation, and some complained of faulty oxygen masks during the emergency descent.

 

Walsh said investigators had examined the oxygen masks and found a small number of masks did not deploy properly.

 

"The investigation team is still examining the oxygen system," he said, to see if the oxygen supply was enough to last the five minutes of the emergency descent to 10,000 feet.

 

All 346 passengers and 19 crew disembarked safely in Manila.

 

(Reuters)

 

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