Scare on Brisbane-bound Qantas flight

[blueloo]

Scare on Brisbane-bound Qantas flight (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/scare-on-brisbanebound-qantas-flight-20090525-bk1a.html)

From SMH

"A Qantas passenger says he feared for his life when oxygen masks deployed on a flight to Brisbane last night.

QF552 passenger Mark Franchi said people around him "froze" when a recorded message came over the intercom advising passengers to use oxygen masks which then deployed.

"You could see on a lot of people's faces they were really terrified," Mr Franchi said......


Not sure if just a false alarm (looks that way from the video, nobody seems to concerned), but the QF spin doctor said they had to descend to due pressurisation problems. A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed the flight performed a faster than normal descent in response to an indication in the cockpit of a depressurisation in the cabin.


As an aside - first time I have heard the Automatic Announcement (in part) - might have to see if I can play it off the PRAM thingy when I am next on the 767 - (anyone know if you can select it off the pram control panel - or whatever its called?)

[Ultergra]

Good ole' 76'ers....

Isn't it time..!

[Diesel Fitter]

Not sure if just a false alarm (looks that way from the video, nobody seems to concerned), but the QF spin doctor said they had to descend to due pressurisation problems.


False alarm?????????????????????

How do you force the O2 Mask forest if it's a false alarm blueloo?

And further why would you call a QF spokesman making a fair call regarding an in flight pressurization problem a "spin doctor"???

Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me blueloo.

[blueloo]

False alarm?????????????????????

How do you force the O2 Mask forest if it's a false alarm blueloo?

And further why would you call a QF spokesman making a fair call regarding an in flight pressurization problem a "spin doctor"???

Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me blueloo.

Don't know mate - thats why i posted it here. So someone can verify it.

Why possibly a false alarm - because nobody has the masks on in the video... I know the PRAM can go off on its own due to a fault - couldnt the whole system (masks aswell?) be set off by a fault too - maybe someone accidently pressed the 02 mask button.......

Who knows.

[framer]

A while ago this thread would have had a few technical statements as to what went on and someone in the know would have described what happened up the pointy end and all the relevent info would have been easily discernable. Now it's 90% bitch1ing and waffle.The tone has changed.
I'm seriously considering leaving D&G for the generic Rumours and News and Tech Log if the Mods here don't return this to a pilots chat site.
We have different jobs because we are different types of people with different ways of expressing ourselves (there are a few exceptions).
D&G Mods....talk to the UK bosses and sort it please. Patience is waning.

[airbus_galley_girl]

Does anyone know the reg?

[Flying Solo]

OGD one of the older girls

[framer]

yes and look all the rubbish is not being said by CC.. its your own faults.. dont blame us

Flying solo I probably have a different definition of rubbish than you, the fact is there is a completely different feel about threads on fairly serious occurances like this . maybe your right, maybe everything the pilots say is rubbish, and everything the CC say is pertinant and to the point, but it's irrelevent either way because the tone and feel of the site has changed and that is what is important. It is hard to find good quality discussion and banter here now because every second post is from someone either saying something irrelivent or obvious or inflamitory, this drags the whole thread in a different direction and it develops differently. I do not like the way the threads develop now. I used to enjoy quickly and easily dragging facts and interesting opinions from fellow tech crew from these threads. I would go so far as to say it has played a role in my professional development over the last seven years.Now the thread never matures enough for those opinions to be brought to the fore. Basically it's the dumbining of D&G in my opionion. Don't take that personally, it is only an opinion but nevertheless the facts as I see them.
I sincerely hope you have a nice day.
I will do my best to do the same,
Regards,
Framer

[kotoyebe]

Basically it's the dumbining of D&G in my opionion.

Yep. It sure is!

[blueloo]

Not sure if just a false alarm (looks that way from the video, nobody seems to concerned), but the QF spin doctor said they had to descend to due pressurisation problems.

The passengers didn't look panicked? Is that your supposition for the deduction it is a false alarm??


Yo dawg:

Nope - it isn't.

I said I am not sure. I didnt say it was. I didnt say it wasn't. In fact I was fairly non-committal. (When someone else asked why it could possibly be a false alarm - i have explained further my reasons for that - and I still did not say if it was a false alarm) I would say the passengers in the video do not look terribly alarmed. This is opposed to the "OMG we are all going to die" videos we normally see when the Capt passes wind, let alone announces a problem.

Sheesh - you post something which may be of interest and the dregs come out, guns a-blazing.

hewlett - yup your probably right. We have no info in our ops manual - I forgot to look today, but maybe next time I will ask a ginger beer

[Back Seat Driver]

IF the flight landed at BNE 30 minutes after the event, then the flight was probably at or near its normal TODP. Therefore it would be indicative of an engine bleed issue (with the consequent effect on cabin pressure), rather than anything more serious.

[ampclamp]

OGD had a pack MEL applied in SYD.Left side I think.
What I hear is that the masks were deployed manually when he got the cab alt warning.Not auto deployed.
I think the speculation of a bleed issue maybe the cause , perhaps a HP didnt open on throttling back.Combo of one pack and low flow would likely do it.
Presumably the crew c/out all of the ops procs in the DDG for the pack MEL.There's a bit in it I recall.

It'll all come out with QAR/DFDR read.

[ampclamp]

Yes you can manually deploy the rubber jungle.
you would normally get a high cab alt warning a few thousand feet before auto deploy.Talking generically here I'm sure different manufacturers have differing ways of doing it.

I am sure it was no false alarm.

But I have seen accidental deployment on the ground not airborne(Airbus not Boeing). Guarded switches look too alike sometimes!

PRAM starts either way.

If the qf talking head said it was a pressurisation issue I'd say that was not spin but a factual statement.

[zkcub]

There was a pan call from a QF plane heading into BNE on Sun night,I sure he said due to medical prob....

[FlareArmed]

I almost had the masks drop on a B767 several years ago. We were on descent through about 37000' when we got a cabin altitude warning. There was no rush of air or anything dramatic so we initially thought it was false until I saw the cabin was climbing through 10000', at about 500 fpm with the outflow valves closed in auto.

I noticed the bleed pressure was quite low, probably because the high stage bleed valves had stuck closed on both engines. Our solution was to extend the speed-brakes and increase thrust to get the pressure high enough for the cabin to descend again before the masks deployed.

[YoDawg]

And that, FlareArmed, is what they used to refer to as "Airmanship."

Thanks for a good, short, useful piece of gen.

:ok:

Blueloo sorry for the rant, I blame alcohol (again :().

If I may, there was a video 'grab' published yesterday which looked to be taken by a phone-quality camera and which showed a female passenger with her mask on. That's the only image I saw and whilst it only showed one person, it did seem to show the pax responding the way they're instructed. Although she was holding it in place by hand instead of using the elastic strap to hold it for her. :rolleyes:

[drshmoo]

It was for real. I was on board. F/O had made his TOPD PA and all was normal
then about 3 mins later CPT came on noticably breathing from oxygen. He brief us, that we were conducting an emerg descent and to breath oxygen from the masks provided. Then I felt the aircraft tilt forward and the buffet of the speed brake begin. Then the masks dropped and the PRAM started. Everyone went quiet and had their masks on. When we were at a safe altitude we levelled off and cabin crew commenced follow up duties. Capt made another PA that all was ok and we would be making a normal landing. He was very reassuring as was the CSM. I was very interested as to the way the cabin crew handled the situation. They were great. Captain was at the door to appologise and thank the pax on disembarkation.
Make no mistake this was a pretty full 767. J class was full of business pax. Only a handfull of staff got J class. 787s can't come soon enough and why are they going to the low yeild offshoot when our premium are getting this!!:ugh:

[blueloo]

when our premium are getting this!!

Jetstar have coin operated oxygen.

Qantas Premium pax get free oxygen. :8

[Boomerang_Butt]

she was holding it in place by hand instead of using the elastic strap to hold it for her

Because that's what they see people do on tv... :ugh: Nevermind the video tells them this clearly that you need to secure it with the strap...

Have had the auto announcement come on once before, is kind of a jolt even though you know it's false on the ground. Once had a few masks drop on a particularly bumpy landing, the pax underneath, bless em, grabed on for dear life and put them on, never mind they're not needed at ground level, at least they paid attention! :E

[YoDawg]

Well, that's true... to be accurate, the girls put the mask on their face and hold the elastic over their heads so as not to spoil the French roll or break a nail...

Maybe the chick on the video wasn't worried enough about her brain cells to spoil her hair-do with the elastic strap...?

[ampclamp]

apparently a split water separator in the RH pack caused the problem.
L pack inop on an MEL, R dropped its bundle next flt.
Bugger.

[BigGun]

so how much damage was caused in the PSU's by the chemical generators?

always wondered how much they would melt the area and dust around them LOL

Changed a few but always wondered.

[600ft-lb]

so how much damage was caused in the PSU's by the chemical generators?

always wondered how much they would melt the area and dust around them LOL

They have annealed the aluminum alloy back to an O state and the aircraft caught fire and hence it is no longer safe to fly, it is due to explode at any time.

But its flying around now.

Qantas and their greedy management doing anything to make a quick buck I dunno:ugh: