QF61 in Darwin
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QF61 in Darwin
I have a funny feeling we might read something interesting about this flight if the ever reputable NT News sees a story in an incident yesterday (and knowing their record it'll be front page news!). However I'll let the reporters do the reporting. Watch this space..........
Nunc est bibendum
Ironic that after a post elsewher on PPRUNE about slow 767s that this bloke does what some of the 'quickies' are suggesting and look at the end result. Mind you, I don't think that should happen when you do everything by the numbers.
Sorry boys and girls but I won't say more than that until it becomes 'public'.
I'm almost beside myself wondering what the NT press will have to say about it. I'm through DN tomorrow arvo and will have to keep an eye out for the paper.
I wonder if the fact that the crew didn't even notice it until an engineer advised them after landing will factor into the equation!!
Sorry boys and girls but I won't say more than that until it becomes 'public'.
I'm almost beside myself wondering what the NT press will have to say about it. I'm through DN tomorrow arvo and will have to keep an eye out for the paper.
I wonder if the fact that the crew didn't even notice it until an engineer advised them after landing will factor into the equation!!
From abc.net.au
Qantas plane grounded after panels fall off mid-air
A Qantas 767 with 221 passengers has been grounded in Darwin after two doors from its landing gear were discovered missing on its arrival in Darwin.
A Qantas spokeswoman says the panels that open and close over the wheels during take-off and landing fell off the aircraft somewhere between Cairns and Darwin.
The flight was scheduled to continue onto Singapore from Darwin yesterday afternoon but will now be flown empty back to Sydney for repairs.
The passengers flew out of Darwin early this morning on another plane.
The missing fibreglass doors are about one metre by 1.5 metres in size and Qantas believes they fell off over an unpopulated area.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident.
So Keg, are you suggesting perhaps there was a premature gear extension above Vle?
TL
[ 21 November 2001: Message edited by: Transition Layer ]
Qantas plane grounded after panels fall off mid-air
A Qantas 767 with 221 passengers has been grounded in Darwin after two doors from its landing gear were discovered missing on its arrival in Darwin.
A Qantas spokeswoman says the panels that open and close over the wheels during take-off and landing fell off the aircraft somewhere between Cairns and Darwin.
The flight was scheduled to continue onto Singapore from Darwin yesterday afternoon but will now be flown empty back to Sydney for repairs.
The passengers flew out of Darwin early this morning on another plane.
The missing fibreglass doors are about one metre by 1.5 metres in size and Qantas believes they fell off over an unpopulated area.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incident.
So Keg, are you suggesting perhaps there was a premature gear extension above Vle?
TL
[ 21 November 2001: Message edited by: Transition Layer ]
Nunc est bibendum
OK Lolevel, I did a search of some news stuff and here it is now 'public'.
I haven't read it myself yet!!! This from news.com.au
To fill in a couple of holes. The aircraft was still in Darwin this morning as at 0545 local and no sign of the crew. If they have flown it since then so be it- it will be a slow trip because from what I can sort out, I think it's restricted to about 250 knots.
Apparently someone on the ground saw the panel come off near Howard Springs and had phoned the airport pretty much as the plane landed. Not sure who they spoke to about it whether it was ATC, QF engineers or the Airport Manager or the refueller.
We passed the outbound 61 to SIN about 0345 local about 45 minutes out of DN. (it's scheduled to arrive in SIN normally about 2200hrs local in SIN).
Crew of the original flight were sent to the hotel to see what could be sorted out. Not sure but I understood that the panel had been found (it was one door, not two!)
Fast enough work for you??
Have a nice day.
I haven't read it myself yet!!! This from news.com.au
Landing gear doors fall off plane
From AAP
21nov01
QANTAS is searching for two landing gear doors that dropped off a 767 jet airliner somewhere between Cairns and Darwin.
It is not known where the two 1.5-by-one metre fibre glass doors fell off, but Qantas suspects it happened on the Darwin approach, a spokeswoman said.
"We believe the panels dislodged over a sparsely populated area when the landing gear was lowered," she said.
"It's really quite light weight."
The airliner with 221 passengers on board was flying as Flight 61 from Cairns to Singapore via Darwin yesterday.
The passengers flew on to Singapore on a replacement jet - arriving nine hours behind schedule.
The jet with missing doors was flown without passengers to Sydney.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating.
From AAP
21nov01
QANTAS is searching for two landing gear doors that dropped off a 767 jet airliner somewhere between Cairns and Darwin.
It is not known where the two 1.5-by-one metre fibre glass doors fell off, but Qantas suspects it happened on the Darwin approach, a spokeswoman said.
"We believe the panels dislodged over a sparsely populated area when the landing gear was lowered," she said.
"It's really quite light weight."
The airliner with 221 passengers on board was flying as Flight 61 from Cairns to Singapore via Darwin yesterday.
The passengers flew on to Singapore on a replacement jet - arriving nine hours behind schedule.
The jet with missing doors was flown without passengers to Sydney.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating.
Apparently someone on the ground saw the panel come off near Howard Springs and had phoned the airport pretty much as the plane landed. Not sure who they spoke to about it whether it was ATC, QF engineers or the Airport Manager or the refueller.
We passed the outbound 61 to SIN about 0345 local about 45 minutes out of DN. (it's scheduled to arrive in SIN normally about 2200hrs local in SIN).
Crew of the original flight were sent to the hotel to see what could be sorted out. Not sure but I understood that the panel had been found (it was one door, not two!)
Fast enough work for you??
Have a nice day.
Nunc est bibendum
No TL, not at all. Thats just it. It was all kosher and 'by the numbers' and yet it still happened. 
Sorry about the double post of the article, I was obviously onto it at the same time as others!!
Sorry about the double post of the article, I was obviously onto it at the same time as others!!
Far out Keg, you keep posting about 2 mins after me!!!
Interesting that you point out it was "by the numbers", I just thought you were leaning towards something suss when you linked it to the high speed descents from that other thread.
Good to see there's other people out there who have nothing else better to do than read PPrune in the middle of the day. Mind you, the WX in SYD right now doesn't exactly encourage you to do anything outside...
Cheers,
TL
[ 21 November 2001: Message edited by: Transition Layer ]
Interesting that you point out it was "by the numbers", I just thought you were leaning towards something suss when you linked it to the high speed descents from that other thread.
Good to see there's other people out there who have nothing else better to do than read PPrune in the middle of the day. Mind you, the WX in SYD right now doesn't exactly encourage you to do anything outside...
Cheers,
TL
[ 21 November 2001: Message edited by: Transition Layer ]
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I believe the someone on the ground near the HWS locator saw the doors come off, phoned ATC, who phoned the airport managers, who phoned QF engineering as the plane was arriving. QF stepped outside and saw the doors missing. I think there were other calls as well, one person saying the wheels had fallen off!
I think the aircraft is supposed to leave this arvo, back to SY with the rubbers hanging out the whole way.
I think the aircraft is supposed to leave this arvo, back to SY with the rubbers hanging out the whole way.
Nunc est bibendum
Actually Jimmy, I think they can put them up as the performance penalty is only about .45% but the speed limited to 250 knots makes it kind of slow!!
I may not be 100% on the numbers. I've been awake a looooooonnngg time!
I may not be 100% on the numbers. I've been awake a looooooonnngg time!
I'm tipping that theyre heavy enough to severely damage whatever/whoever they land on at 200 knots.Join Date: Sep 1999
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I guess a 250 KIAS cruise at FL370 will still see a 500 KTAS!
Recall a similar experience in a business jet some years ago. Lost about 30 knots TAS at that level. The descent was a bit tedious in the lower levels.
Recall a similar experience in a business jet some years ago. Lost about 30 knots TAS at that level. The descent was a bit tedious in the lower levels.
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The A/C in question just departed, and looked like it was going wheels down the whole way.
From what I could see the door looked like it punched a hole in the panel behind the gear as it seperated.
From what I could see the door looked like it punched a hole in the panel behind the gear as it seperated.
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Jimmy,
It seems as though you must live at Bagot Community, with a name like that. Actually I hear 'da sisters' don't nag quite so much there. You must be one of those fellas that I see peering over the fence all the time, seeing you know all the ins and outs of Darwin Airport!!
Eh Brudda!!
It seems as though you must live at Bagot Community, with a name like that. Actually I hear 'da sisters' don't nag quite so much there. You must be one of those fellas that I see peering over the fence all the time, seeing you know all the ins and outs of Darwin Airport!!
Eh Brudda!!
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Hey brudda
we was hunting da other day and we come home with dis big piece plastic (fibreglass) - our whole family camp with it - good for rain u know
and what for you no like our Bagot Community ?
all u pilot fly over all da time
make sure u all come in one day and and camp here - and u know u can leave rubbish here / dont have to take home like those other camps
we got big mob nice girl here - some inside home, some camp long grass, if u like - u choose
i wait for u here
we was hunting da other day and we come home with dis big piece plastic (fibreglass) - our whole family camp with it - good for rain u know
and what for you no like our Bagot Community ?
all u pilot fly over all da time
make sure u all come in one day and and camp here - and u know u can leave rubbish here / dont have to take home like those other camps
we got big mob nice girl here - some inside home, some camp long grass, if u like - u choose
i wait for u here
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I'd heard that the flight landed on RW29 so if that was the case I wouldn't be surprised to see some guys n gals from Robertson Barracks on a treasure hunt down their neck of the woods. 
I assume that the missing doors are nose gear doors as the B767 Main landing gear rests on the doors in flight after the landing gear lever is positioned to "Off". None of the news articles that I have seen mentioned which doors departed the scene.