Qantas 743 Grounded Ymml
 

Looks Like Qantas 747-300 VH-EBX sustained some severe damage from an runaway cargo/baggage container yesterday. Skin damage is one thing but, apparently the damge extends into the airframe ribs. Not an easy repair.


Can anybody confrim the rumor that QF management are doing the sums to determine whether this aircraft is to be turned into coke cans? Or will they spend the money to summon the Boeing AOG team to come out and effect a repair?


In days gone by, Qantas may have managed this in house but, after Sydney Heavy Maint. was Lean-Sigma'd, any spare expertise is now working else where.


Anyway, somebody in the know got any good goss in the fate of the old work horse VH-EBX?

According to the Executive General Manager of Engineering Mr D Cocks it was just a minor scratch. A team from the top tier of engineers at SIAEC will be heading over to repair the damage. They will be borrowing a local stapler.

F:mad:k, we're out of staples, what now?;)

Do what we do every other time
Get lease staples from Air NZ

One last time :)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/WERF.jpg

Don't take any photos for christs sake.......

Too late....

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/3...0702sl0.th.jpg

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/4...0703om8.th.jpg

http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/4...0704xf4.th.jpg

But wait there's more.....

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/4...0706yd5.th.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1...0707ka2.th.jpg

Apparently Qantas have opened an account with Office Works and have pre-ordered several boxes of staples. Some touch up paint also on the way from Auto One.

Surely minor damage only and not a scraping candidate? When you see some of the repair jobs flying again, this is only cosmetic! Remember the AF747-400 at Tahiti- nose down in the sea? The BKK Q B747?

Ouch.....:uhoh:

Was he driving that thing with a white walking cane? I mean fair enough not being able to see err umm I dunno maybe a 767 in front of you, but how do you drive into the side of a block of flats?

Sheeties have repaired far worse.



:} Even without staples! :}

http://www.paslode.com/products/tool...rod_F-350S.jpg
This might get it done a tad quicker :}

Bog it baby
 

Surely some bog and hundred mile an hour tape (simply place 4-5 strands overlapping each other to up-spec it to req speed rating) will get the job done....

Word on the tarmac is that the brakes failed on the loader so the operator, a porter, leap from the machine in fear of being crushed against the aircraft.

By the look of the pics he made the right decision.

Hey if we can resurrect a possible hull loss we can do anything

If the same sort of "incident" happens to one of the new carbon fibre aircraft how long would it take to fix?

Those photo's make maintaining your ground equipment to a high standard look like a cheap alternative :rolleyes:

Amazing how things get exagerated.
A threat on airliners.net has the plane torn open from end to end and the cargo door laying on the ground.

Boof head!!

Seconded.Stick with the other strange people in the mall

I believe the staples were made from the scrapping of VH-RMD...talk about Karma!!!;):p

Apparently Tonia Todman has been employed by QF AOG and she has suggested using a hot glue gun, some brown paper and liquid paper! Works a treat on thos annoying scratches on your washing machine too!

Temp Repair
 

EBX at John Holland for a temp repair to allow the aircraft to fly unpressurised to AVV for a pernament repair . Damage is a little more than skin deep !

...just some putty and a splash of paint and she'll be right!

sadly not to long ago, repairs like this were not a problem for Syd Maintenance, i remember a far worse damage in front of the cargo door on a 737 on the production join, VH-TAX i think it was!

I hear they are looking for a crew to fly it unpressurized to Singapore for repair.

All you'll ever need to fix an aircraft!

I can think of a couple of places where the Void Filler might come in handy... :hmm:

bad day for the boy who was driving the truck.
Repair is in my opinion quit easy, but expensive

Nice answer dkaarma, it would work a treat. :ugh:

EGNT!

Isn't there another 300 almost certainly permanently grounded in AVV?

Lobe, that aircraft (-EBU) hasn't been on the company's books for a few years now - written off. EBT was sold earlier this year, leaving EBV, EBW, EBX (the one damaged in MEL) and EBY.

Any truth to the rumour that EBX was flying today and returned with a problem?

The B743's aren't much older than the early B744's - EBY was delivered approx 18 months before OJA. They just need some TLC - damage from runaway baggage loaders is just a freak event, not to be blamed on the aircraft type.

I overheard John Borghetti tell someone the other day when asked whether they'd be refreshed along with the rest of the fleet, that they'll all be gone by the end of next year.

Magoo

I'm suprised they didn't end up in Jetstar colours...then again, that's a lot of silver paint innit?:}

I'm suprised they didn't end up in Jetstar colours...then again, that's a lot of silver paint innit?

yeah but you'd get a s%#& load of backpackers to Phuket on one in a single class config mate.

and it does matter a hoot if the ife is not working like its usualy not

3-4 years ago, management had a plan to transfer the B743's to Australian airlines (AO) but this plan had to be shelved because of the delay in A380 deliveries. The last four B743's will be retired when enough A380's arrive. Sadly, that means the end for Flight Engineers in Qantas Tech Crew ranks.

PitPin is on the money

i heard the same returned to tulla

rumor has it that the air return was due to the forward cargo door warning light illuminating in flight. I presume very soon after take-off? Otherwise, why not continue to AVV? Six and one half between continuing there and doing a lap of the circuit at MEL I would've thought?