AIRLINE NEWS
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Fuel dumped in Qantas emergency landing
The captain of a Qantas 767 flight was forced to dump fuel before making an emergency landing at Sydney Airport on Saturday due to a hydraulic leak in the controls.
It is the third mid-air emergency for the carrier in the past week, but air authorities say there is nothing to suggest any link between the incidents or any lowering of safety standards.
A leak in the wing was detected on the Manila-bound Qantas flight QF 19, a Boeing 767 300 with 200 passengers on board, shortly after take off from Sydney at 1.20pm (AEST), an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) spokeswoman said.
The captain requested emergency clearance before returning to land safely at 3pm.
"Air traffic controllers received a call from the pilot declaring an emergency and proceeded to give priority clearance for a landing at Sydney," An Air Services Australia spokesman told AAP.
Passengers said the plane remained low in the sky for about five minutes after take-off and dumped fuel over the ocean east of Sydney before circling for more than an hour.
"About five minutes after taking off it was very obvious the plane was very low in the sky. ...It was very strange," a passenger told Fairfax.
"For 45 minutes we did not know what was going on."
The ATSB said the aircraft made a "precautionary return" to Sydney and landed without incident.
Qantas confirmed the leak was not detected before the plane took off.
"On inspection, engineers determined that fluid was coming from the spoiler actuator that was not evident before departure," a Qantas spokeswoman told AAP.
The spoiler is situated on top of the wing to slow the aircraft down. The actuator is a mechanism which moves the spoiler.
"There was no safety issue at any time," the spokeswoman said.
Passengers were transferred to another aircraft which left Sydney for Manila about 5.45pm (AEST).
The ATSB is awaiting a report from Qantas engineers before deciding whether to launch an investigation into the incident.
An ATSB spokeswoman said all backup systems had worked normally.
It comes a week after an explosion blew a hole in a Qantas jet flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne , forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Manila.
On Tuesday a Melbourne bound Boeing 737-800 departed Adelaide at 6.08pm (AEST) and returned 37 minutes later after a door opened during a flight to Melbourne .
Qantas was completing checks on oxygen bottles on its fleet of Boeing 747s on Friday.
A CASA spokesman said there was no evidence of any lowering of safety standards at Qantas and the last audit did not detect any "significant safety issues".
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
It is the third mid-air emergency for the carrier in the past week, but air authorities say there is nothing to suggest any link between the incidents or any lowering of safety standards.
A leak in the wing was detected on the Manila-bound Qantas flight QF 19, a Boeing 767 300 with 200 passengers on board, shortly after take off from Sydney at 1.20pm (AEST), an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) spokeswoman said.
The captain requested emergency clearance before returning to land safely at 3pm.
"Air traffic controllers received a call from the pilot declaring an emergency and proceeded to give priority clearance for a landing at Sydney," An Air Services Australia spokesman told AAP.
Passengers said the plane remained low in the sky for about five minutes after take-off and dumped fuel over the ocean east of Sydney before circling for more than an hour.
"About five minutes after taking off it was very obvious the plane was very low in the sky. ...It was very strange," a passenger told Fairfax.
"For 45 minutes we did not know what was going on."
The ATSB said the aircraft made a "precautionary return" to Sydney and landed without incident.
Qantas confirmed the leak was not detected before the plane took off.
"On inspection, engineers determined that fluid was coming from the spoiler actuator that was not evident before departure," a Qantas spokeswoman told AAP.
The spoiler is situated on top of the wing to slow the aircraft down. The actuator is a mechanism which moves the spoiler.
"There was no safety issue at any time," the spokeswoman said.
Passengers were transferred to another aircraft which left Sydney for Manila about 5.45pm (AEST).
The ATSB is awaiting a report from Qantas engineers before deciding whether to launch an investigation into the incident.
An ATSB spokeswoman said all backup systems had worked normally.
It comes a week after an explosion blew a hole in a Qantas jet flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne , forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Manila.
On Tuesday a Melbourne bound Boeing 737-800 departed Adelaide at 6.08pm (AEST) and returned 37 minutes later after a door opened during a flight to Melbourne .
Qantas was completing checks on oxygen bottles on its fleet of Boeing 747s on Friday.
A CASA spokesman said there was no evidence of any lowering of safety standards at Qantas and the last audit did not detect any "significant safety issues".
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
Labels: emergency landing, Qantas
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Qantas plane makes emergency landing
Australian passengers have told of a terrifying mid-air emergency that left a gaping hole in the side of a Qantas plane, forcing an emergency landing in Manila.
The Qantas Boeing 747, en route from London to Melbourne, via Hong Kong, landed safely on Friday and a "gigantic" hole was discovered in the belly of the plane, near the wing.
Some of the 346 passengers on board told of debris flying through the depressurised cabin, and oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling. Some said the plane had plunged about 20,000 feet after a door "popped".
"There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," Melbourne woman Dr June Kane told ABC Radio.
"I'm looking at the plane now and ... just forward of the wing, there's a gaping hole from the wing to the underbody," she said, adding that baggage was hanging out.
"It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the flight had "a hole in its fuselage" and was being inspected. None of the passengers nor the plane's 19 crew were hurt, he said.
The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) had been notified of the incident, Dixon said.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson told the ABC that initial reports indicated a problem with air pressure in the cabin.
Manila airport operations officer Ding Lima told local radio the plane lost cabin pressure shortly after takeoff from Hong Kong and the pilot radioed for an emergency landing.
"Upon disembarkation, there were some passengers who vomited. You can see in their faces that they were really scared," he said.
During the emergency part of the plane's flooring gave way, exposing some of the cargo in the hold, he said. Part of the ceiling also collapsed.
Another passenger Brendan McClements, the chief executive of the Victorian Major Events Company, described hearing a big bang as the plane flew out of Hong Kong .
"There was a sort of rapid expulsion of wind. It went out of the plane, the air got sucked out, the oxygen masks dropped down and we put them on," he told AAP from Manila.
"Where I was sitting wasn't ideal, by no means ideal.
"We landed about an hour or so ago, and there was a very large hole that wasn't there when we took off in Hong Kong ."
McClements praised Qantas staff for keeping passengers calm.
"The crew were terrific, they did a great job," he said.
"Everyone gave them a round of applause as we landed."
British man Phil Rescall said he and other passengers realised how lucky they were when they saw the size of the hole in the plane's underbelly just in front of the right wing.
"You see the hole and you realise we were very lucky," he told AFP.
"Some people were crying, some people were pretty shaken when they saw the hole."
Another English passenger, Robin McGeechan, 42, said that despite the bang there was little panic.
"We were told a door had popped. We only realised that there was a great big hole in the plane after we landed," McGeechan said.
McClements said he was glad he didn't see the hole in the plane until after they landed.
"Landing was a good thing," he said.
"The captain flagged that we were going to take a very long, slow landing, so we used the whole runway, the emergency crews were out there to meet us and then they towed us in.
"When we walked out we were able to see the plane from the outside and there was a very large hole.
"I was very happy I saw that when I was on the ground and not when I was in the air."
McClements said the passengers were calm when it happened.
"It was probably an hour out of Hong Kong, it all went bang and whoosh.
"And the oxygen masks dropped down and we tootled off to Manila as quickly as we could.
"It was back behind me, big, loud and noisy and very windy when the cabin presser depressed.
"Obviously when the initial bang happened there were a few looks cast across the aisles and backwards and forwards.
"But once people put their oxygen masks on, and crew did a terrific job of making sure people were calm around us, everyone was very even, everyone was very relaxed, that I saw."
McClements said the plane descended after the bang.
"Someone else used the word plunged, but it was a very even decent to a level, as I understand it, where the cabin pressure was equalised.
"It didn't worry me particularly, it never felt like it was out of control."
He said he thought it had taken another hour or two to reach Manila after that.
"Qantas handled it brilliantly and all in all, I will be on the next plane as soon as they can get one to take me home.
"I don't want to catch a cargo ship or anything like that."
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
The Qantas Boeing 747, en route from London to Melbourne, via Hong Kong, landed safely on Friday and a "gigantic" hole was discovered in the belly of the plane, near the wing.
Some of the 346 passengers on board told of debris flying through the depressurised cabin, and oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling. Some said the plane had plunged about 20,000 feet after a door "popped".
"There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," Melbourne woman Dr June Kane told ABC Radio.
"I'm looking at the plane now and ... just forward of the wing, there's a gaping hole from the wing to the underbody," she said, adding that baggage was hanging out.
"It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."
Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the flight had "a hole in its fuselage" and was being inspected. None of the passengers nor the plane's 19 crew were hurt, he said.
The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) had been notified of the incident, Dixon said.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson told the ABC that initial reports indicated a problem with air pressure in the cabin.
Manila airport operations officer Ding Lima told local radio the plane lost cabin pressure shortly after takeoff from Hong Kong and the pilot radioed for an emergency landing.
"Upon disembarkation, there were some passengers who vomited. You can see in their faces that they were really scared," he said.
During the emergency part of the plane's flooring gave way, exposing some of the cargo in the hold, he said. Part of the ceiling also collapsed.
Another passenger Brendan McClements, the chief executive of the Victorian Major Events Company, described hearing a big bang as the plane flew out of Hong Kong .
"There was a sort of rapid expulsion of wind. It went out of the plane, the air got sucked out, the oxygen masks dropped down and we put them on," he told AAP from Manila.
"Where I was sitting wasn't ideal, by no means ideal.
"We landed about an hour or so ago, and there was a very large hole that wasn't there when we took off in Hong Kong ."
McClements praised Qantas staff for keeping passengers calm.
"The crew were terrific, they did a great job," he said.
"Everyone gave them a round of applause as we landed."
British man Phil Rescall said he and other passengers realised how lucky they were when they saw the size of the hole in the plane's underbelly just in front of the right wing.
"You see the hole and you realise we were very lucky," he told AFP.
"Some people were crying, some people were pretty shaken when they saw the hole."
Another English passenger, Robin McGeechan, 42, said that despite the bang there was little panic.
"We were told a door had popped. We only realised that there was a great big hole in the plane after we landed," McGeechan said.
McClements said he was glad he didn't see the hole in the plane until after they landed.
"Landing was a good thing," he said.
"The captain flagged that we were going to take a very long, slow landing, so we used the whole runway, the emergency crews were out there to meet us and then they towed us in.
"When we walked out we were able to see the plane from the outside and there was a very large hole.
"I was very happy I saw that when I was on the ground and not when I was in the air."
McClements said the passengers were calm when it happened.
"It was probably an hour out of Hong Kong, it all went bang and whoosh.
"And the oxygen masks dropped down and we tootled off to Manila as quickly as we could.
"It was back behind me, big, loud and noisy and very windy when the cabin presser depressed.
"Obviously when the initial bang happened there were a few looks cast across the aisles and backwards and forwards.
"But once people put their oxygen masks on, and crew did a terrific job of making sure people were calm around us, everyone was very even, everyone was very relaxed, that I saw."
McClements said the plane descended after the bang.
"Someone else used the word plunged, but it was a very even decent to a level, as I understand it, where the cabin pressure was equalised.
"It didn't worry me particularly, it never felt like it was out of control."
He said he thought it had taken another hour or two to reach Manila after that.
"Qantas handled it brilliantly and all in all, I will be on the next plane as soon as they can get one to take me home.
"I don't want to catch a cargo ship or anything like that."
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
Labels: emergency landing, Qantas
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
American Airlines plane makes emergency landing at Glasgow airport
An American Airlines plane flying from London to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Glasgow on Monday after a warning light incorrectly indicated there might be a fire in the hold, a spokesman said.
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Labels: american airlines, emergency landing, uk
German airline says pilots averted major crash
German airline Lufthansa said on Monday its pilots had averted a crash at Hamburg airport after a strong gust of wind caused a plane, with 130 passengers on board, to veer dangerously on landing.
reuters.com
reuters.com
Labels: emergency landing, germany, lufthansa
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Landing drama for Qantas flight
A Qantas flight from Gladstone to Rockhampton in central Queensland was forced to circle for almost an hour after a hydraulics failure.
theage.com.au
theage.com.au
Labels: emergency landing, Qantas
Monday, February 04, 2008
Cabin pressure fear on Singapore flight
A Singapore Airlines flight to Beijing was forced to return to the city-state following "signs of loss of cabin pressure", the airline said today.
theage.com.au
theage.com.au
Labels: emergency landing, Singapore Airlines
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sri Lankan Airlines makes emergency landing
A Sri Lankan Airlines flight on Saturday made an emergency landing at the Kamaraj domestic airport, after it could not land at Goa due to bad weather, airport sources said.
hindu.com
hindu.com
Labels: emergency landing, srilankan airlines
Sunday, September 30, 2007
American Airlines makes emergency landing after engine catches fire during a flight
ST. LOUIS (AP) - American Airlines is trying to determine what caused an engine aboard 1 of its jets to catch fire during a flight to Chicago.
Labels: american airlines, chicago, emergency landing, st louis
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Bombardier probes crash
Bombardier Inc. has dispatched an investigator to Denmark in the wake of an accident involving one of the company's Toronto-built aircraft when a Scandinavian Airlines turboprop crashed during an emergency landing.
thestar.com
thestar.com
Labels: Bombardier, denmark, emergency landing, Scandinavian Airlines
Monday, July 23, 2007
Jetstar makes emergency landing in Bali
A Jetstar flight from Bangkok to Melbourne has been forced to make an unscheduled landing at Bali's Denpasar Airport.
au.news.yahoo.com (page not found)
au.news.yahoo.com (page not found)
Labels: Bali, bangkok, emergency landing, Jetstar, melbourne
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Air China flight lands safely at LAX after tire blows out
An Air China jetliner made an emergency landing early Friday at Los Angeles International Airport after the pilot reported at least one tire was blown out.
Source: mercurynews.com
Source: mercurynews.com
Labels: air china, emergency landing, lax, los angeles
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