Something went bang near Brisbane
 

At least, according to a highly-hypreventilated beat-up by AAP:
Category: | The Courier Mail

Anybody know what really happened to the "Cessna Jet"? I think we can say for certain that "Commissioner Stewart" did NOT assume command :-)

Going by Flightaware the Citation went bang just before TOPC, headed back down to 10,000ft and came home. Think that aircraft has spent a lot of time u/s in the past year or so. Compliments to the crew by the way.

Incident might just be what they need to argue for a new fleet.

Blower fan blade failure I’ve heard.

I’m not familiar with the term “ Blower Fan Blade “. Sounds like Air Con. Or are you referring to a engine blade component.

ATSB's initial entry reports "smoke in the cockpit" and that the aircraft was "296 km north of Brisbane", which puts the aircraft about 10 nm north of Bundaberg. Given that there a three good aerodromes nearby (Bundaberg, Maryborough and Hervey Bay), doesn't it seem incredibly foolhardy to flog all the way back to Brisbane if you have cockpit smoke?

10nm North of Bundy...at FL320 on climb, at that point surely landing at Bundy or Brisbane would be about the same when you include the descent? Then you have to weigh up the facilities available, both company and rescue equipment, and Brisbane starts to look like the best option.

Not to mention they're likely far more current with Brisbane and its surrounding area plus the approaches and runways etc... along with Brisbane having a Tower as well to help them out. Sounds like the better option to me?

No. By time they descended, ran the checklists and assessed the situation, there was no smoke, and the source was identified.

Capt Fathom - thanks for that, it makes a lot more sense now, my only info source was the ATSB entry.

Ixily, I've already posted that I got the basic scenario wrong (or incomplete at least), but I don't think your comment stands up. Most jets will generate 5000-6000 fpm in the emergency descent configuration, so you could be on the ground at Bundaberg in under 15 minutes. Getting yourself to Brisbane would take twice that time. And having a tower on the ground isn't going to be much help if you have a cockpit full of smoke. This situation is truly serious - think Swissair 111.

I’ve heard the same story as Capt Fathom.

No smoke, no abnormal engine indications, no depressurisation.