Qantas Incident At LAX, The Real Story.
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Qantas Incident At LAX, The Real Story.
In the official report issued by the ATSB it says.
(QUOTE)
Following take-off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the crew of the B747-438 aircraft noticed a severe airframe jolt while conducting a climbing left turn. The cockpit instruments indicated that the number-1 engine exhaust gas temperature was rising through 900 degrees C. Passengers also reported flames emanating from the number-1 engine tailpipe.
The crew shut down the number-1 engine and returned the aircraft to LAX for a one- engine inoperative landing.
(ENDQUOTE)
Now the report of that in today's Courier Mail needed to be more exciting.
They listed all the famous people that were aboard the flight, and stated that "The Qantas B747-400 jumbo jet with 191 passengers aboard bound for New York, returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport"
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
(QUOTE)
Following take-off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the crew of the B747-438 aircraft noticed a severe airframe jolt while conducting a climbing left turn. The cockpit instruments indicated that the number-1 engine exhaust gas temperature was rising through 900 degrees C. Passengers also reported flames emanating from the number-1 engine tailpipe.
The crew shut down the number-1 engine and returned the aircraft to LAX for a one- engine inoperative landing.
(ENDQUOTE)
Now the report of that in today's Courier Mail needed to be more exciting.
They listed all the famous people that were aboard the flight, and stated that "The Qantas B747-400 jumbo jet with 191 passengers aboard bound for New York, returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport"
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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Sat "Courier Mail"
Qantas jet fire leads to Boeing overhaul
AIRCRAFT manufacturer Boeing has ordered changes in the way its international passenger planes are maintained after fire broke out in a Qantas jet engine. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's investigation into the incident over Los Angeles in December 2002 has blamed a single blade inside the aircraft's number one port-side jet engine which broke free just after take off.
A loud cracking noise was heard by passengers and crew when the blade broke free, violently jolting the aircraft and causing a small fire to break out in the Rolls-Royce engine.
The Qantas 747-400 jumbo jet carrying 191 passengers bound for New York returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport, where fire rescue crews were waiting.
Several VIPs were aboard the aircraft, including News Limited chairman Lachlan Murdoch and his wife, supermodel Sarah O'Hare, as well as former Ansett chairman and News Corporation board member Ken Cowley.
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi was also on board the plane, which was stranded on the tarmac for more than two hours as cargo, baggage and catering supplies were off-loaded on to a replacement Qantas jet.
The flight, in a replacement 747-400, eventually took off three-and-a-half hours later and the broken engine was taken back to Australia to Qantas's engine maintenance facility for a full examination.
The Transport Safety Bureau's investigators said the engine was not overdue for an overhaul, and had not undergone any major maintenance.
They concluded in their report which was released yesterday that the blade had broken free because of a crack caused by metal fatigue.
Boeing had been aware of similar failures by blades in the same series of turbofan jet engines, and in August last year the aircraft manufacturer told engineers maintaining the engines to use a special new lubricant for the blades.
It has also revised its manufacturing processes for the blades and developed a new inspection procedure to detect cracks in the blades without having to remove the engine from the aircraft.
The engine fire was just one of a series of incidents on Qantas aircraft in the past 18 months.
In July 2002, two passengers had to be administered oxygen after they experienced breathing difficulties when a white, acrid haze spread through a BAe 146-100 aircraft as it was preparing to take off from Brisbane for Alice Springs.
The fumes were later found to have been caused by an overtightened hydraulic oil coupling.
Just one month later, a Qantas jet narrowly avoided ploughing into an American charter plane during a nail-biting take-off at Los Angeles airport.
===========================================
Qantas jet fire leads to Boeing overhaul
AIRCRAFT manufacturer Boeing has ordered changes in the way its international passenger planes are maintained after fire broke out in a Qantas jet engine. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's investigation into the incident over Los Angeles in December 2002 has blamed a single blade inside the aircraft's number one port-side jet engine which broke free just after take off.
A loud cracking noise was heard by passengers and crew when the blade broke free, violently jolting the aircraft and causing a small fire to break out in the Rolls-Royce engine.
The Qantas 747-400 jumbo jet carrying 191 passengers bound for New York returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport, where fire rescue crews were waiting.
Several VIPs were aboard the aircraft, including News Limited chairman Lachlan Murdoch and his wife, supermodel Sarah O'Hare, as well as former Ansett chairman and News Corporation board member Ken Cowley.
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi was also on board the plane, which was stranded on the tarmac for more than two hours as cargo, baggage and catering supplies were off-loaded on to a replacement Qantas jet.
The flight, in a replacement 747-400, eventually took off three-and-a-half hours later and the broken engine was taken back to Australia to Qantas's engine maintenance facility for a full examination.
The Transport Safety Bureau's investigators said the engine was not overdue for an overhaul, and had not undergone any major maintenance.
They concluded in their report which was released yesterday that the blade had broken free because of a crack caused by metal fatigue.
Boeing had been aware of similar failures by blades in the same series of turbofan jet engines, and in August last year the aircraft manufacturer told engineers maintaining the engines to use a special new lubricant for the blades.
It has also revised its manufacturing processes for the blades and developed a new inspection procedure to detect cracks in the blades without having to remove the engine from the aircraft.
The engine fire was just one of a series of incidents on Qantas aircraft in the past 18 months.
In July 2002, two passengers had to be administered oxygen after they experienced breathing difficulties when a white, acrid haze spread through a BAe 146-100 aircraft as it was preparing to take off from Brisbane for Alice Springs.
The fumes were later found to have been caused by an overtightened hydraulic oil coupling.
Just one month later, a Qantas jet narrowly avoided ploughing into an American charter plane during a nail-biting take-off at Los Angeles airport.
===========================================
Nunc est bibendum
I think this was Captain Paul Holland on his very last trip (but not last flight) in Qantas service. What a nice bloke he is. Forty or so years of flogging around in QF service and he has an engine failure with just three flights to go! 
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I'm a foreigner, and so don't know (nor do I hold any particular brief for QANTAS): is the Courier Mail a Murdoch rag? The reason I ask is that the last bit of the article is absolute tabloid krap. Herewith an expression of disgust at the quality of Aussi newspapers.
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I was always under the impression that in the aviation context the term VIP is reserved for "Heads of State".
I find it hard to believe Lachlan Murdoch and Co. deserve this title.
Could somebody elaborate on when the term VIP should be used.
I find it hard to believe Lachlan Murdoch and Co. deserve this title.
Could somebody elaborate on when the term VIP should be used.
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Well I guess if you work for a certain newspaper, and Lachlan Murdoch is your boss, when you mention him in your articles, you would call him a VIP. 
What a ludicrous media article. Voice your disgust to the Courier Mail On Line Editor:
[email protected]
I already have!
Perhaps if enough people email them they may take greater care with their airline reporting.
[email protected]
I already have!
Perhaps if enough people email them they may take greater care with their airline reporting.
Evertonian
The engine fire was just one of a series of Qantas incidents in the past 189 years.
In 1832, whilst sailing to Australia on the HMS Regrettable, Hudson Fysh's Great Grandfather spilled a bucket of water on deck, upsetting the cabin boy. Although a serious incident, the Captain decided that they could continue to Australia.
And it was in 1820 that Paul McGuiness' great, great Grandmother was involved in a serious Ox cart incident. The cart blew a spoke in, what the industry calls, an uncontained wagon failure. There were no serious injuries, however the Oxen needed counselling.
Qantas declined to comment on the above incidents, in relation to the LAX RFF saying; "We regret all negative matters that can concern public safety. Indeed, we are well aware of the hysteria that such occurences generate but, at the end of the day, the Oxen lived for many more years!"
In 1832, whilst sailing to Australia on the HMS Regrettable, Hudson Fysh's Great Grandfather spilled a bucket of water on deck, upsetting the cabin boy. Although a serious incident, the Captain decided that they could continue to Australia.
And it was in 1820 that Paul McGuiness' great, great Grandmother was involved in a serious Ox cart incident. The cart blew a spoke in, what the industry calls, an uncontained wagon failure. There were no serious injuries, however the Oxen needed counselling.
Qantas declined to comment on the above incidents, in relation to the LAX RFF saying; "We regret all negative matters that can concern public safety. Indeed, we are well aware of the hysteria that such occurences generate but, at the end of the day, the Oxen lived for many more years!"
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Now the report of that in today's Courier Mail needed to be more exciting.
They listed all the famous people that were aboard the flight, and stated that "The Qantas B747-400 jumbo jet with 191 passengers aboard bound for New York, returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport"
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
They listed all the famous people that were aboard the flight, and stated that "The Qantas B747-400 jumbo jet with 191 passengers aboard bound for New York, returned on one engine to Los Angeles International Airport"
Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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I have to agree with the comment about aviation reporters in Australia. They are given the title of "Aviation Analysts" and that is just what they are. They analyse a potential story and put forward their point of view. Most of their stories are not news but just that, a story. They give their own perception of an issue and 8 times out of 10 it turns out to be wrong. The "Australian Aviation" magazine is a good example. Many of their articles are written 4 weeks or more before publication. They have reported that airlines are expanding here and there, using new aircraft etc. Unless they have the facts they should not report misleading information. You all have probably been through the experience of reading an article, reading the good news and only to find out it's just speculation. The writers we have in Australia should be banished to the back pages of a mag where the horoscope is because thats all they do, predict and in their own words. Terry McCrann has to be one of the worst. I take all his words with a pinch of salt, and for him to be hired by a newspaper to give his point of view is derement to the paper itself. He is boring and incorrect on many matters when they finally unfold. Now really, who is interested in the Aviation section of the paper unless you have a general interest in Aviation, serious people who want facts, not speculation, we can all speculate!!
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Torres;
Complaint listed.
Only 1 engine failed, but for some reason the crew shut down another 2 for good measure?
C'mon journo's.... invest in some common sense.
Keg I've heard the same story about Capt. Holland, although the version I heard said he never flew again. Do you know if this is true?
I've seen the photos from this incident (or accident), certainly a serious event to occur but was handled well by both the crew and the aircraft.
D*&khead journalists..........
Complaint listed.
Only 1 engine failed, but for some reason the crew shut down another 2 for good measure?
C'mon journo's.... invest in some common sense.
Keg I've heard the same story about Capt. Holland, although the version I heard said he never flew again. Do you know if this is true?
I've seen the photos from this incident (or accident), certainly a serious event to occur but was handled well by both the crew and the aircraft.
D*&khead journalists..........
Nunc est bibendum
Monkey, definately NOT the story I heard. The version I got was that he was so keen to get to JFK and NY for a few days (golden bid and all that) that he picked up one of the spare aircraft in LAX and took it instead almost immediately!
That would certainly seem to be in character!!
That would certainly seem to be in character!!
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Ummm Keg,
Maybe he was delivering his pax to JFK asap; is that not his job? There are always a couple of aircraft spare through the day in LAX. The cabcrew from the first aircraft also went straight across to JFK. What would you have preferred them all to do?
Oh..and the schoolgirlish snipe at a man I guarantee I have known many more years that you?? Yeah, it was just that! When you're half the man and the pilot, you will be doing well indeed.
Maybe he was delivering his pax to JFK asap; is that not his job? There are always a couple of aircraft spare through the day in LAX. The cabcrew from the first aircraft also went straight across to JFK. What would you have preferred them all to do?
Oh..and the schoolgirlish snipe at a man I guarantee I have known many more years that you?? Yeah, it was just that! When you're half the man and the pilot, you will be doing well indeed.
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"Oh..and the schoolgirlish snipe at a man I guarantee I have known many more years that you?? Yeah, it was just that! When you're half the man and the pilot, you will be doing well indeed."
What's that all about? Keg is one of the few to give this forum the credability it deserves...if I was half the man and the pilot Keg is, I'd be very contented.
What's that all about? Keg is one of the few to give this forum the credability it deserves...if I was half the man and the pilot Keg is, I'd be very contented.