Qantas Incident????????
Is there any truth in this?
Found elsewhere on the internet.
More and more stories in the nres about air traffic control lapses and air tragedies in the news recently gives the impression that a local serious air disaster is just around the corner.
Well, it nearly happened two weeks ago, and nothing was leaked to the press.
A Qantas 737 on the "red eye" from Perth to Canberra arrived at Canberra airport just before 5.00am, and with the airport still closed, went into a routine holding pattern awaiting the opening at 5.00am.
Trouble was, that the wrong co-ordinates were plugged into the computer by the flight crew, and the holding pattern centered on Tuggeranong and Michelargo was extended in a much broader ellipse than intended.
The crew flew the plane in a holding pattern at 5000ft, which was, until last week, standard. Two minutes into the pattern the aircraft's GPWS was activated, and an emergency climb saw the plane avoid a 5300ft peak by 150 feet [Eek!] [Eek!] , the crew and 155 passengers on board were less than two seconds from death.
The GPWS, ground proximity warning system, was all that saved those people from being parked in the trees.
All QANTAS flight crews have since received advice that the new holding pattern in those circumstances is 6000ft!!
Glad I don't fly into Canberra!! [Big Grin] [Big Grin] IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
TASAD
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- posted 17-09-2004 09:42 AM Profile for TASAD Email TASAD Send New Private Message Edit/Delete Post Reply With Quote Where did the info come from IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
SnowMoo
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- posted 17-09-2004 09:43 AM Profile for SnowMoo Edit/Delete Post Reply With Quote Mt Taylor could have been the new landing spot. IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
solod golf
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- posted 17-09-2004 09:43 AM Profile for solod golf Edit/Delete Post Reply With Quote A QANTAS worker. Tech staff.