satmstr
4th Feb 2008, 05:59
Ah the Media again dont really know what they are talking about again.... they think aircraft are perfect.But i like the last one by the RAAF :ok:
114 flight bungles on whistleblower hotline
By Kelvin Bissett
A QANTAS flight from Perth with a serious fuel malfunction that left it vulnerable to a "flameout" at Sydney airport is among 114 flight bungles that have flooded in to an aviation whistleblower hotline.
Two pilots and an engineer were stood down over the August 11, 2007 incident, but a whistleblower has claimed staff tried to cover up the incident "to make it look normal" after the flight reached Sydney.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is continuing its inquiries into the "serious incident" that led to fuel being drained from the aircraft's wing tanks while leaving 4700kg of fuel in the centre tank untouched because a fuel pump was not switched on.
The Daily Telegraph has obtained details of all 114 reports on aviation blunders submitted during the first nine months of the REPCON scheme.
Under the scheme, reporters identify themselves to the hotline but are given guarantees their identity will not be released publicly.
A whistleblower report submitted to REPCON claims both engines of the Boeing 737 involved in the Perth incident could have "flamed out" or failed had the plane missed its approach to Sydney airport.
The whistleblower claimed Qantas staff in Sydney had tried to redistribute fuel back into the wing tanks to cover up the incident.
A Qantas spokeswoman would not comment on the incident, except to say there were "no new developments" in the matter.
Complaints to the REPCON hotline, obtained under Freedom of Information, include:
* ON August 30, 2007, maintenance inspections on a Boeing aircraft found nose landing gear steering bolts had been incorrectly installed and were "fouling" the adjacent structure;
* IN October 2007, a Qantas 747 had its oxygen system replenished with nitrogen by mistake. Qantas has taken steps to prevent a recurrence;
* AN Airbus was reported on October 11, 2007 to be suffering from "airframe vibrations associated with the rudder for two months". No source could be found, and the aircraft continued in service. It had been diverted several times because of the vibrations;
* A REPORT on June 8, 2007 expressed alarm at a "go-around", or abandoned landing approach, conducted at high speed by Boeing 737 and 767 international flights at Sydney airport, although authorities found no evidence of a safety breach;
* A COMPLAINT that a regional airline had banned its pilots from buying fuel away from Sydney airport because fuel at rural airports was "up to 17c a litre more expensive"; and
* ON April 19, 2007, a caller claimed there had been instances of aircraft flying low over homes southeast of Williamtown RAAF base, including plastic bags full of urine being dropped.
114 flight bungles on whistleblower hotline
By Kelvin Bissett
A QANTAS flight from Perth with a serious fuel malfunction that left it vulnerable to a "flameout" at Sydney airport is among 114 flight bungles that have flooded in to an aviation whistleblower hotline.
Two pilots and an engineer were stood down over the August 11, 2007 incident, but a whistleblower has claimed staff tried to cover up the incident "to make it look normal" after the flight reached Sydney.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is continuing its inquiries into the "serious incident" that led to fuel being drained from the aircraft's wing tanks while leaving 4700kg of fuel in the centre tank untouched because a fuel pump was not switched on.
The Daily Telegraph has obtained details of all 114 reports on aviation blunders submitted during the first nine months of the REPCON scheme.
Under the scheme, reporters identify themselves to the hotline but are given guarantees their identity will not be released publicly.
A whistleblower report submitted to REPCON claims both engines of the Boeing 737 involved in the Perth incident could have "flamed out" or failed had the plane missed its approach to Sydney airport.
The whistleblower claimed Qantas staff in Sydney had tried to redistribute fuel back into the wing tanks to cover up the incident.
A Qantas spokeswoman would not comment on the incident, except to say there were "no new developments" in the matter.
Complaints to the REPCON hotline, obtained under Freedom of Information, include:
* ON August 30, 2007, maintenance inspections on a Boeing aircraft found nose landing gear steering bolts had been incorrectly installed and were "fouling" the adjacent structure;
* IN October 2007, a Qantas 747 had its oxygen system replenished with nitrogen by mistake. Qantas has taken steps to prevent a recurrence;
* AN Airbus was reported on October 11, 2007 to be suffering from "airframe vibrations associated with the rudder for two months". No source could be found, and the aircraft continued in service. It had been diverted several times because of the vibrations;
* A REPORT on June 8, 2007 expressed alarm at a "go-around", or abandoned landing approach, conducted at high speed by Boeing 737 and 767 international flights at Sydney airport, although authorities found no evidence of a safety breach;
* A COMPLAINT that a regional airline had banned its pilots from buying fuel away from Sydney airport because fuel at rural airports was "up to 17c a litre more expensive"; and
* ON April 19, 2007, a caller claimed there had been instances of aircraft flying low over homes southeast of Williamtown RAAF base, including plastic bags full of urine being dropped.