MERGED: Qantas Decompression ?
1. You won't see GD praising anyone except himself. He is a narcissist.
2. Not a bomb. No scorch marks, shrapnel damage, smoke in the cabin, fire and upwards failing floor of passenger cabin as well. An explosion is an overpressure event.
3. There is no way a fairing failure could have triggered this. Boeing's FMEA committee would have seen to that in the design phase.
4. Unless I'm mistaken, there is a chunk of skin in the middle of the hole that appears to be missing and is at the bottom of the China sea.
5. It will be interesting to see if this aircraft ever returns to service. I'm not sure it will considering the location of the hole, but what would I know?
2. Not a bomb. No scorch marks, shrapnel damage, smoke in the cabin, fire and upwards failing floor of passenger cabin as well. An explosion is an overpressure event.
3. There is no way a fairing failure could have triggered this. Boeing's FMEA committee would have seen to that in the design phase.
4. Unless I'm mistaken, there is a chunk of skin in the middle of the hole that appears to be missing and is at the bottom of the China sea.
5. It will be interesting to see if this aircraft ever returns to service. I'm not sure it will considering the location of the hole, but what would I know?
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Sounds like you have some theories Sunfish - care to share?
I think the corrosion issue is a strong one but it's too early to tell. We'll have to let time and the investigation play themselves out.
One's thing for sure, Geoffy boy's got another grey hair.
I think the corrosion issue is a strong one but it's too early to tell. We'll have to let time and the investigation play themselves out.
One's thing for sure, Geoffy boy's got another grey hair.
Fris, I think you are being to lenient and generous towards those purveyers of scribble that populate the so called news organisations.
tipsy
tipsy
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Concerning the future of the aircraft - it is a relative easy job. New skins, a few stringer splices and a few frame changes (all as per SRM 51 of course)
Problems will be lead time for parts from Boeing, and the lack of skilled sheeties, that have all long departed Qantas due to the usual reasons.
I expect the A/C to be grounded about 6-8 weeks.
Problems will be lead time for parts from Boeing, and the lack of skilled sheeties, that have all long departed Qantas due to the usual reasons.
I expect the A/C to be grounded about 6-8 weeks.
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Speaking of Q and maintenance etc.
I was on QF168 row 38 on both sectors starting out on Thursday this week and noticed a rather loud and unusual noise below and just behind me not long after TO. I thought it might have been as the slats were moving into the fully retracted position. My other thought was that it was possibly an electric hydraulic pump seizing. The flight proceeded to CNS with nothing said.
On the second sector there was a similar sound but not quite as abrupt or loud and I think it was just as the slats retracted.
It's normal to hear weird sounds on the ground and in the air, in the airbus, however, having some experience in the front and back of the 76, I have not heard that sound before.
Anyone heard similar sounds from the 76?
Cheers
I was on QF168 row 38 on both sectors starting out on Thursday this week and noticed a rather loud and unusual noise below and just behind me not long after TO. I thought it might have been as the slats were moving into the fully retracted position. My other thought was that it was possibly an electric hydraulic pump seizing. The flight proceeded to CNS with nothing said.
On the second sector there was a similar sound but not quite as abrupt or loud and I think it was just as the slats retracted.
It's normal to hear weird sounds on the ground and in the air, in the airbus, however, having some experience in the front and back of the 76, I have not heard that sound before.
Anyone heard similar sounds from the 76?
Cheers
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Whatever has happened here has been the result of a number of contributing factors. I doubt that a single mistake has been the cause of this incident. If there was a fairing failure (or oxy cyl, or corrosion), this would not have been solely due to a design flaw, but due to a series of events leading to this failure.
Design flaws from an aircraft manufacturer are not uncommon, hence the need for AD's and SB's. In fact some flaws have had devastating repurcussions in the past.
I'm not ruling anything out. Corrosion is a good possibility (door 2 right gets used alot on transit, and when it rains it's not uncommon for water to dribble down below the main deck).
I agree with another post about SYD heavy maint. This was closed down because GD stated we needed to vacate by 2009/2010. There are now plenty of rumors about this being leased to third party heavy maint MRO's. We lost a first class facility here for sure, very dissapointing.
Design flaws from an aircraft manufacturer are not uncommon, hence the need for AD's and SB's. In fact some flaws have had devastating repurcussions in the past.
I'm not ruling anything out. Corrosion is a good possibility (door 2 right gets used alot on transit, and when it rains it's not uncommon for water to dribble down below the main deck).
I agree with another post about SYD heavy maint. This was closed down because GD stated we needed to vacate by 2009/2010. There are now plenty of rumors about this being leased to third party heavy maint MRO's. We lost a first class facility here for sure, very dissapointing.
Last edited by Ngineer; 26th Jul 2008 at 00:26.
Roadrunner, the B767 main landing gear does not have any uplocks. When the pilots select the Gear Lever to "Off" after gear and flaps have been retracted, the MLG settles onto the MLG doors which do have locks. It is quite normal to hear/feel this especially if you are seated near the rear of the wings.
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Roadrunner,
Possibly the Air Driven Hydraulic Demand Pump.Cuts in when hydraulic load is high such as when flaps and gear are retracting simultaneously.Located LHS immediately aft of wing.
Possibly the Air Driven Hydraulic Demand Pump.Cuts in when hydraulic load is high such as when flaps and gear are retracting simultaneously.Located LHS immediately aft of wing.
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I think GB is quite right. Roadrunner, we can often feel the same clunk from the cockpit when the landing gear hydraulics are depressurised by putting the gear lever "off" immediately after the flaps finish retracting. You don't tend to notice it all the time though. Just a quirk of the 767.
I shouldn't speculate I suppose, but at least allow me to apply "Occams Razor": Old aeroplane with known corrosion issues. Hmmmm. Seems like corrosion/fatigue is really the most likely culprit.
The other theories are a bit out of left field (except for the oxy bottle one - certainly a possibility), but everything will be investigated, obviously.
I shouldn't speculate I suppose, but at least allow me to apply "Occams Razor": Old aeroplane with known corrosion issues. Hmmmm. Seems like corrosion/fatigue is really the most likely culprit.
The other theories are a bit out of left field (except for the oxy bottle one - certainly a possibility), but everything will be investigated, obviously.
Last edited by DutchRoll; 26th Jul 2008 at 01:37.
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Unusual?
Looking at the photos I suppose we can all agree that we can see bags trying to force their way out of the hole. It would appear that the trigger that caused the the damage was sufficient to rupture the internal containers to allow this to happen or the trigger for the damage came from the containers maybe more likely. If corrosion did create enough fatigue for decompression then I personally have doubts that the container would have damaged. Extremely lucky that all that rush of air did not cause primary structure failure ie floorbeams. Usually damage can increase significantly when other objects are dragged out with the high pressure air. Looks like the bags did everyone a favour by partialy blocking the hole and / or stemming the flow of air exiting the aircraft. If oxy bottles in the area might of been a slow leak plus + spark = bang. Investigation will probably resolve all speculation tho.
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Hey cougar, upperlobe and anyone else that keeps dragging this thread to the issue of QF management. If you really want to keep flogging this horse then there is a thread running on D&G Reporting Points where you can sound off to your hearts content and I and many others may even support you. 
PS: what were the pilots thinking? Thanks QF Management for all the cost cutting in engineering
Just kidding.
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woollcott
You are living in the past. QF don't need skilled and knowledgeable sheeties any more. There are 'amazing' new ways to tackle some of the problems that previously were left to QF engineering to rectify. Take a step onto the bridge of trust, peer through the FOG, look at other possibilities.
Back in the old days when smoking was allowed on a/c, pressurization problems didn't exist as the nicotine in the smoke would plug any holes in the airframe. Well it is no coincidence that just one month ago QF cabin crew were instructed to start selling duty free 'cancer sticks' again. Profit is all that matters, stuff the customer silly enough to buy them, get them to smoke on OJK and soon enough that hole in the side of the a/c will be plugged. Save a sh!tlo@d on those expensive sheeties as well.
Back in the old days when smoking was allowed on a/c, pressurization problems didn't exist as the nicotine in the smoke would plug any holes in the airframe. Well it is no coincidence that just one month ago QF cabin crew were instructed to start selling duty free 'cancer sticks' again. Profit is all that matters, stuff the customer silly enough to buy them, get them to smoke on OJK and soon enough that hole in the side of the a/c will be plugged. Save a sh!tlo@d on those expensive sheeties as well.