QF124 - 332 into Mumbai

[Eastwest Loco]

It looks like the initial QF A330-200 series op into Mumbai must have been maintainence released by Wun Hung Lo and his mates, as last night's QF124 BOM SYD is still on the ground there.

Passengers were accommodated overnight when the aeroplane arrived without the necessary certification and was not allowed to perform the return leg, and after engineering staff were flown from Singapore, a fuel leak (I am told centre wing tank but this from SLF I have booked on the beast) was discovered. It would seem this led to a crew hours problem and the system is now showing a 1300 departure today.

The fuel leak is a big enough worry in itself, but how does a major international carrier send out a brand new aeroplane without doing all the checks and balances to make sure it comes home?

I have one unhappy punter on it - there would be around 250 odd others as it was a pretty full ship.

Anyone have any more info on this one??

Best all

EWL

[chockchucker]

Sounds entirely indicative of a QF management intent on screwing its employees, rather than keeping their eye on the ball and providing a reliable service.


Anybody think that all the stuff ups over the last few weeks sound eerily familiar with the Ansett operation in its last 10 months of existance?


Shouldn't be surprised of course. Turns out that a number of the clowns who are now at the helm of QF engineering are the same ones who engineered the Ansett's engineering department problems in the years leading up to the company's demise.


Same old mantra, do more with less. Only so much you can cut off the bone before you start cutting off limbs, and that's where I believe QF have now arrived at.


Only a sudden reversal in ideology will prevent the complete fracture of the engineering organisation, and the main core airline as a whole.:(

[Capt Fathom]

The A330's have been operating to Mumbai for some time (via Darwin). I can't imagine why they would need to fly engineers in from SIN. Plenty of airbus ops through there.

I recall Jetstar had some delays in the past caused by fuel leaks!

[speedbirdhouse]

The 200's haven't. [central wing fuel tank?]

[Wingspar]

I believe it was the first of the direct services....VH-EBH, the new one.

[Shot Nancy]

A330s do not have "centre wing tanks", centre tank maybe.

[Eastwest Loco]

It was indeed a brand new A330-200 so most likely VH-EBH.

Central tank leak rather than centre wing tank is more correct I guess.

One wonders what would have happened if the leak was not found, and why it was not before departure on QF123 ex SYD.

The 300 series was doing Mumbai, but via DRW outbound and nonstop return due to range limitations.

The 200 series used by JQ could not be converted due to floor loading limits not allowing the fitment of Skybeds in J class. The new equipment was purpose ordered with higher floor load capability.

Best all

EWL

[OhSpareMe]

The fuel leak is a big enough worry in itself, but how does a major international carrier send out a brand new aeroplane without doing all the checks and balances to make sure it comes home?

They don't just send it out.

What do you think? That QF just picked it up from the factory and sent it straight to BOM?

You should know better than that. The aircraft has been in the country for a few weeks now flying around the place.

In any case, it is back in the air now.

One pissed of PAX out of 250? That happens on every flight.

[Buster Hyman]

Passengers were accommodated overnight
What the...? Who's responsible? Are they insane? This will set the industry back 20 years I tells ya!!!

[Eastwest Loco]

Oh Spare Me indeed!

I do indeed know better than that, but was referring to the preflight ex SYD as on ANY flight, not just a new aeroplane and I do realise that they filed the plastic bits that came with it when they broke it off the plastic frames in the kit. I just hope they didn't use too much glue in enclosed spaces.

I have one psgr on the flight, but all are fairly pissed off according to him.

I know - it happens!

Still showing 1330 local ETD, but 1420 there now, so who would know.

All including the crew will no doubt be happy to get clear of that fleapit of a country.

Hiya Buster - yes - it is a conspiracy to make LCCs look bad - I bet they even repainted the aeroplane in JQ colours just to throw the public off!

Best all

EWL

[OhSpareMe]

OK.

It is called the Centre Tank. If it had a leak then perhaps they could have not used the Centre Tank and planned a tech stop short of SYD using only wing fuel. (Engines are fed from the Inners on the A330).

I guess all will be revealed. Perhaps it wasn't a "leak"

Arriving without the necessary certification? Are you suggesting EWL that they departed SYD without the Return to Service having been signed? Or without an MR? Oh dear.:=

[bigles]

Chockchucker,
Are You Referring To The Head Clown Recruited From Qf To Head Ansett/ANZ Who Is Renowned For The Ability To Throw Chairs?

[Eastwest Loco]

Spare

It appears from what I was told that the SLF were advised that the aeroplane arrived without some required certification.

Maybe as it was the first QF A332 into BOM, there was some requirement for the inevitable "chitties" and paperwork India seems to run on in the best traditions of "why use 1 form when 10 will do".

I did not intend to suggest the aeroplane rolled without an MR as I am sure it would not have.

No doubt all the full details will be available without us speculating soon.

Best regards

EWL

[chockchucker]

"Are You Referring To The Head Clown Recruited From Qf To Head Ansett/ANZ Who Is Renowned For The Ability To Throw Chairs? "


He, and a few others.

[training wheels]

May be Indians are just giving Qantas a hard time becoz we thrashed them in the cricket? :confused:

[Eastwest Loco]

QF124 pushed back at 1446 airborne at 1507 BOM local.

At least they are under way.

EWL

[Bumpfoh]

A refuel isolation valve leak from what I understand was the cause, perhaps spares, resources etc led to the delay considering it wouldn't take much to make the crew run out of hours with a delay on the BOM-SYD sector.

[indamiddle]

the skipper on the qf 123 syd-bom reported vibration on final to bom.
a panel approx 12"x12" missing on inspection on ground.
due to delay re lame x sin' qf 124 missed curfew to syd
not all bad news, a family in a slum now have a roof over their heads

[lowerlobe]

a panel approx 12"x12" missing on inspection on ground.

.....Ahhh yes that would be the new weight saving directive from Darth.....

[Jabawocky]

Bits falling off a brand new plane:eek:

Must be a Monday/Friday one hey:uhoh:

[Eastwest Loco]

Thank you Bumpfoh and indamiddle for the detailed information.

The urban renewal for Mumbai's approach suburbs is interesting.

Maybe somebody didn't read the instructions that come with the Airfix - oops - Airbus kit proper like!!

Best regards all

EWL

[Twitter n Bisted]

My gen from a QF OPS Insider was also no qualified -200 Engineer on Station to sign it out.

One had to be found from Kingfisher.

Some nice planning there QF Manager guy.

Never let facts get in the way of a good story, Kingfisher have a fleet of A319 A320 A321 and some ATRs,
Not sure why CASA would give a 1 off authority to dispatch a QF flight to an airline whom do not run A332s ?

Perhaps the reason the aircraft was initially delayed was due to the fact the local engineer may have been incapacitated or hampered in some way, therefore requiring an engineer to be flown in to sort out the certification requirements.
It appears on this thread that people just want to aportion blame rather than ask why?
A small panel did come off but it in no way effected the departure time as this sort of thing is allowable (but not desirable) under the aircraft CDL.

Parts required to fix the fuel defect (the cause of the delay) were not locally available to cure the defect before crew hours ran out but were eventually sourced and defect fixed by the time the tech crew were rested and ready to depart.
:ok:

[Derek P]

I was advised that it was a certification issue with engineering.

The aircraft was never unserviceable.

[indamiddle]

re previous post #18 .
corection: 'panel' was actually a hatch cover.
sorry about that...don't know what it was covering!
can't wait for the suggestions on this!!

[lowerlobe]

Twitter n Bisted....
It was a panel( B.F.D.), it was the thronmister cover but as we all know these are not susceptible to environmental ingress due to the tricottinium single crystal structure that allows this component to be so sturdy in any weather conditions ………….

Thats true but the thronomister is designed to supply inverse reactive current to the unilateral phased detractors.If this panel is missing then the thronomister may not be capable of synchronising the cardinal interaction of magneto reluctance and capacitive duractants in the spurbing bearings which could have a direct impact on the modial grammometers......................then again that can only happen in the northern hemisphere and during a leap year.

[stubby jumbo]

:D:D

Nice one 'Lobe.

Good to see retirement hasn't dampened your sense of humour.

Stubby;)