MERGED: Qantas Decompression ?
Interesting to find out if the emergency descent was conducted at high speed or low speed. General advice in Boeings general is to descend at the IAS that was current if structural damage is suspected. In other words if the aircraft is still in one piece after the initial structural failure, then it will probably stay that way providing you don't exceed that speed significantly in a dive. Usually means gear down to keep the rate of descent high and the IAS low.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
John B. Great job. If you at all ever get on this site or anyone who is friends with him does, could you get him to PM me as one of his old CO's (who is in our sub branch) from his navy days would like to say g'day. I was having a quiet beer with him this afternoon chatting about what happened and he asked me to pass on the message if i could.
also; move over Kevin, Robbie Deans for PM
also; move over Kevin, Robbie Deans for PM
Last edited by wessex19; 26th Jul 2008 at 14:06.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does the 744 have panels between the baggage compartment and the cabin designed to fail in the event of a sudden decompression ? Allows the pressure to equalise quickly rather than buckle the cabin floor.
There are panels held in with springs and pop out if there is a pressure difference.. They are re-usable. They can be annoying when you lean on one by mistake during maintenance... thankfully not large enough to fall through
Rgds.
NSEU
Capt Kremin
You've alluded to the fact that the recovery was not quite as straight forward as it might have been. Care to expand on that?
Given that they were only an hour or so into a 9 hour flight with 350 pax, I take it they've landed significantly over MLW. Any damage to the LE flaps?
Given that they were only an hour or so into a 9 hour flight with 350 pax, I take it they've landed significantly over MLW. Any damage to the LE flaps?
Join Date: Jan 1998
Location: somewhere in the nth of Oz, where it isn't really cold
Posts: 884
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If I may ask a question which is NOT in anyway meant to be inflamatory - if the acft was so close to the DEP point, other than obviously being overweight, is there a reason why it didn't land there when able rather than continue on over the briney?
But dont worry they spent $500M last year on ads detailing the service our customers dont get because all the service staff are pissed off and the proud history that no longer exists due to foolish cost cutting.
fatcat69
fatcat69
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If I may ask a question which is NOT in anyway meant to be inflamatory - if the acft was so close to the DEP point, other than obviously being overweight, is there a reason why it didn't land there when able rather than continue on over the briney?
The truth is that it doesn't matter where the aircraft went the repairs will be done by the Boeing recovery team. Any major repair that is outside the SRM and will probably require re-jigging the fuselage and major structures is done by manufacturer. They don't want to do a repair and then find the aircraft requires more trim to fly straight.
Can recall an Ansett DC-9 once had a major corrosion repair in top fuselage and after that the crew found it difficult to land with out lots of elevator/stab trim.
Don't expect to see it in the air for at least a few months.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Skating away on the thin ice of a new day.
Posts: 1,116
Received 13 Likes
on
8 Posts
"rust bucket"
Congrats to the frankly stupid guesswork and speculation that has led to the "rust bucket" headlines.it was lifted from an on-line forum be it here or elsewhere.
I'm the first to comment and criticize where necessary but providing hacks with this sort of poorly researched, uneducated & very damaging headline helps nobody.
I'm the first to comment and criticize where necessary but providing hacks with this sort of poorly researched, uneducated & very damaging headline helps nobody.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YMML
Age: 59
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Should CASA ground QFs B747.400 "Absolutely"
Surely if it was any other Australian airline, CASA would've grounded the fleet in question by now.
I bet the goverment will not let that happen, How sure "Absolutely"
I bet the goverment will not let that happen, How sure "Absolutely"
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From Today's Fairfax press (apologies if already posted):
Aviation writer Ben Sandilands said Qantas and its passengers were lucky the disaster happened near an airport. "If it had happened on some other Qantas routes we'd be reporting that they were sending the warships out to pick up the bodies."
Where do these muppets come from? Why are they allowed to make such unchallenged statements of complete effluent?
Aviation writer Ben Sandilands said Qantas and its passengers were lucky the disaster happened near an airport. "If it had happened on some other Qantas routes we'd be reporting that they were sending the warships out to pick up the bodies."
Where do these muppets come from? Why are they allowed to make such unchallenged statements of complete effluent?
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Hongkers
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
is there a reason why it didn't land there when able rather than continue on over the briney?
Incident occured beyond the HK FIR boundary which extends to about 220NM to the SE of HK and they would have been closer to Manila by that stage.
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: oztralia
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Swiss Cheese
The holes are definitely starting to line up.
The longer we go without an incident the closer we are to catastrophe.
I fear that we are too close now and soon there will be a black hole in the ground with a red tail sticking out of it.
GD, DC, PG & co can you now see that this airline game is not about greedy profit, it is about integrity and long jeapordy of aircraft maintenence and keeping and nurturing the experience on shore.
Cut the profit and keep the reputation and safety intact.
Roadshows, lean sigma, safety obeservations, housekeeping, joint working committees, amazing people and all that other bulls**t you ram down our necks day in day out doesn't mean s**t when the families of 350 dead pax will be asking why did this have to happen........?
The longer we go without an incident the closer we are to catastrophe.
I fear that we are too close now and soon there will be a black hole in the ground with a red tail sticking out of it.
GD, DC, PG & co can you now see that this airline game is not about greedy profit, it is about integrity and long jeapordy of aircraft maintenence and keeping and nurturing the experience on shore.
Cut the profit and keep the reputation and safety intact.
Roadshows, lean sigma, safety obeservations, housekeeping, joint working committees, amazing people and all that other bulls**t you ram down our necks day in day out doesn't mean s**t when the families of 350 dead pax will be asking why did this have to happen........?
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ampclamp - that is the part of this story which is really getting to me........the media. They have absolutely no idea and quote people with thier own agenda such as union leaders and some guy from a website. 
The media's coverage of this story is nothing short of disgraceful. 5% of it is facts, the rest is them speculating and reporting blatant errors (like the aircraft was the same the one the Pope was on). Then they come up with thier own "theories" and run with them. The "Rust Bucket" front line was pathetic. The media don't hate to answer to anyone and know nothing about aviation. In saying that, the name "Qantas" seems to send reporters into a frenzy as they try to put as many phrases like "terrified passengers", "feared for thier lives" etc into thier story. They want to drag the name of the airline through the mud at every opportunity.
Once again, well done to crew for thier efforts, especially JB. Why the media were camped out in front of his home yesterday, I will never know.
The media's coverage of this story is nothing short of disgraceful. 5% of it is facts, the rest is them speculating and reporting blatant errors (like the aircraft was the same the one the Pope was on). Then they come up with thier own "theories" and run with them. The "Rust Bucket" front line was pathetic. The media don't hate to answer to anyone and know nothing about aviation. In saying that, the name "Qantas" seems to send reporters into a frenzy as they try to put as many phrases like "terrified passengers", "feared for thier lives" etc into thier story. They want to drag the name of the airline through the mud at every opportunity.
Once again, well done to crew for thier efforts, especially JB. Why the media were camped out in front of his home yesterday, I will never know.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Roguesville, cloud cuckooland
Posts: 1,197
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes
on
5 Posts
The details of the situation that the crew were faced with will come out in due course. The SMH already has part of the story, no autopilots. Everything was hand flown from the beginning of the incident. There were other serious system failures which occurred simultaneously with the depressurisation.
Any intimation that the crew went to Manilla due to cost considerations is so far off the mark as to not dignify with a response. It was simply the closest major airport.
Any intimation that the crew went to Manilla due to cost considerations is so far off the mark as to not dignify with a response. It was simply the closest major airport.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: With Ratty and Mole
Posts: 421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update
1.Pax Oxygen bottle located in the vicinity of the hole in the airframe is missing.
2.Locking handle on R2 Door was in vertical position(not horizontal).
Speculation is that the Oxygen bottle exploded and punched a hole in the skin
2.Locking handle on R2 Door was in vertical position(not horizontal).
Speculation is that the Oxygen bottle exploded and punched a hole in the skin
Nunc est bibendum
Kremin, I haven't read that report but obviously written by a journo who hasn't thought about where he or she would like to land if they had a hole that size in the aeroplane! 
The smh article was another beatup. 'Pilot lands in instinct' etc etc. How about paying some credence to all the sim training that gets done to prepare pilots for such events. The author makes out that this was the first time the guy had hand flown an aircraft
Apparantly Ray Hadley had it on good authority that the pope had flown in this aircraft and was happy to broadcast this fact.
Pilot relies on skill to land crippled jumbo - Travel - smh.com.au
Apparantly Ray Hadley had it on good authority that the pope had flown in this aircraft and was happy to broadcast this fact.
Pilot relies on skill to land crippled jumbo - Travel - smh.com.au
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote: "Apparantly Ray Hadley had it on good authority that the pope had flown in this aircraft and was happy to broadcast this fact."
Hadley is an idiot. He regularly doesn't do research before getting on his high horse. Most of the media also seem to think the same thing because "Longreach" is on the side.
The media's lack of knowledge and understanding of aviation is embarassing.
Hadley is an idiot. He regularly doesn't do research before getting on his high horse. Most of the media also seem to think the same thing because "Longreach" is on the side.
The media's lack of knowledge and understanding of aviation is embarassing.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Roguesville, cloud cuckooland
Posts: 1,197
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes
on
5 Posts
The article is indeed crap, but journalists obviously believe we always land aircraft by "pushing a button" anyway. By remarking that the crew landed manually, they inadvertantly cottoned on to one of the systems failures (one of many) that this crew encountered.