Qantas A330 Emergency Landing in Learmonth

[pilotdude09]

LRH, cant see the Bus having any trouble getting out of Learmonth!

Runway length: 3078 m (10100 ft)

So one can assume the aircraft will undergo thorough checks then flown to a MX base ASAP.

[Capt Kremin]

A330's don't really suffer from "upsets" as they are classically known. Pilots are not required to practice UA recoveries because the FBW protects the aircraft.
YPLM is plenty long enough to take a full load to Perth. My guess is that they have stood down the crew and are flying a bunch of engineers and a press-ganged crew out of Perth. The engineers will give it the once over, a standard inspection after a severe turbulence event, and then they will fly it back to Perth.

[gyro_topple]

Here's the latest........


UPDATE ON QF72 DIVERSION TO LEARMONTH

SYDNEY, 7 October 2008: Qantas is sending two aircraft to Learmonth from
Perth to collect passengers and crew.

A B767 is due to arrive in Learmonth at 5.10pm local time and a B717 at
5.40pm. The aircraft are due to arrive back in Perth at 7.50pm and 8:35pm
respectively.

Inquiries regarding passengers should be directed to Qantas on 1800 062 241
(in Australia).

Further information will be issued as soon as it is available.



Correction to media release (Q3829) issued at 5.10 pm

The A330-300 aircraft landed in Learmonth at 1.45pm (local time) and had
been due to land in Perth at 2.10pm (local time).


And yes LRH, inspections are required after encountering severe turbulance.

[John Eacott]

Looks like a bit of turbulence in the satpic:

[cheerscheers]

Also there was a Malaysian 777 a few years back had to make a emergency landing at Learmonth after it started diving. Was a computer issue though and not turbulance.

[Icarus2001]

The ATSB just did.

Putting traumatised passengers on a B717 to fly them home, yep that should finish them off.

[tail wheel]

Would the arm chair experts who weren't there please desist from questioning the professional pilot's decision, so the rest of us can read the facts without having to sift through the rubbish and bumf?

Whether the aircraft went to Learmonth or Oodnadatta was the Captain's decision alone, the aircraft landed safely and should not be questioned.

Just the facts please!

John at post # 41 may be on the money?

Thanks

[Capt Wally]

I note that the injured pax/crew where mainly at the rear of the plane, damn ""steerage class" partying like that, wayward folk they are
I also note that the Aus/Asia/Africa SIGWX showed some CAT at FL370 associated with a westly airflow 120kts+ at or about Learmonth stretching right across this brown land of ours.
Safety, it's all about safety. Get 'em on the ground then let the real fun begin!



CW

[tail wheel]

Dawg and others. The captain made a considered, professional decision, after considering the circumstances he alone faced.

It was his decision and resulted in no loss of life or loss of the aircraft.

Who cares where he went?

Factual updates welcome!

[Buster Hyman]

Excellent call to land at Learmonth.

If he'd landed at Hedland, the punters would've turned on him...I know I would!

[pilotdude09]

Just on the local news

Had some footage of the aircraft and looked 'intact' and they have said it was a severe turbulence incident involving an air pocket, PAX looked pretty shaken as you would.

30 Pax and 3 Flight Attendants injured
1 Person's head actually went through the panels above the seating
10 Pax of the 30 with serious injuries
No life threating injuries at the moment

Qantas flying 2 a/c as we already knew
RFDS organising medical evacuations

That's really all they had about it.

[dijon moutard]

Turbulence Forecasts

Dear All
this website seems very good : just click on Oceania (for Australia).other world geographical areas are also available.

have used it a far amount and certainly gives a better idea of what's happening re : cat .

www.turbulenceforecast.com

it displays severity of turbulence in colour at altitude ; quite neat !

cheers
mustard

[Lookleft]

The Malysian 777 returned to Perth after its "upset". Since the advent of jet upset training(my wife had images of very sad aeroplanes), its been used to describe an event such as the QF incident. Yesterdays sigwx charts had nothing to suggest that there was anything untoward in the upper atmosphere but the satpic was intriguing.

[Little_Red_Hat]

Just for clarity, as my original posts have been sent into oblivion by the mods, I was not attempting to speculate about why a particular airport was chosen, nor was I trying to stir anything up with my question about inspections, just wanting to have a couple questions answered. Shame we can't discuss that as from a cabin crew perspective it was interesting info that we are not otherwise taught, it's something we tend to pick up on the job or from tech crew when they are happy to answer our questions.

Is it no longer policy to leave the (moderator edited) posts in place so the chronological order of the thread can be seen, it doesn't really make any sense now!

[Streuth]

Perhaps autopilot/computer malfunction could have been the problem.

[tail wheel]

Red Hat.

I'm happy for you to start a speculation thread in our other forum, GA and Questions.

But this thread in Reporting Points Forum is restricted to factual updates.

[Little_Red_Hat]

Thanks, there were two threads running before, I'm confused???

Is there any way we can have those posts back so they can be moved to that appropriate forum to discuss related issues??I don't have those deleted posts saved or anything...

[tail wheel]

There was only ever one thread in Dunnunda Reporting Points and one thread in our international Rumours and News Forum.

There is also a thread in GA and Questions here, which I'm happy to have as a speculation thread for the arm chair theorists.

"Biggest issue is getting the old man out there to drive the stairs over to the jet. IF the base isn't operational at the time. If it IS, then happy days. Was it operational? No idea? Well then........

In the absence of some sort of structural failure, this is a straightforward case of a diversion followed by medical evacuation of the casualties. The tarts no doubt had to leave the galleys unexpectedly to sort out the wailing punters who'd been without seatbelts so kudos.

Also a lesson for the tarts to be buckled in when sitting in their jumpseats doing nothing. A good idea but rarely seen happening for the same reason the pax don't."

That user's post #6. And you wonder why we need Moderators?

[Lookleft]

"Flight within these parameters at airspeeds inappropriate for the conditions."

I would suggest that this incident would be covered by this definition.

[teresa green]

Ok, she has hit some CAT, and run off the rails, it has happened before and will happen again. Training kicked in, the A/C is safe and the pax are a bit knocked around, happened over Belgrade some time ago with the same result, also out of CHC leaving some Japanese Pax hanging from the lockers, A timely reminder to you all, never trust the bastards,for all the glass cockpits, and jesus boxes, they are still aircraft and will turn and bite you when you least expect it, what you learnt at flying school, still stands. Oh and Yodawg, flight attendants are NOT tarts, they are someones child, someones family, perhaps someones mother, think about it.