Qantas 744 Depressurisation
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I wish people like Cats Five would read rather than contribute. Nowwithstanding the dross in this thread, there is a lot of professional and well-informed fact also available, probably from those that fly and maintain the aircraft. Read and learn.
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forget that post re-edited AIRFRAMES.ORG - Aircraft Database
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OK:
could it have been an oxygen bottle carried as freight? if there was a bottle as part of the ship's system, isn't there an over pressure protection/blow out disc?
perhaps carried without permission as passenger baggage?
I am reminded of the United flight that lost a door...but this isn't close to the door.
and to all who hate journalists...how would the majority of us even know about this incident without them?
could it have been an oxygen bottle carried as freight? if there was a bottle as part of the ship's system, isn't there an over pressure protection/blow out disc?
perhaps carried without permission as passenger baggage?
I am reminded of the United flight that lost a door...but this isn't close to the door.
and to all who hate journalists...how would the majority of us even know about this incident without them?
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darrylj, there would (should) have been 2 QF aircraft at T4 around that time. QF 32 to Singapore - Sydney and QF30 to Hong Kong - Melbourne. Both depart about 1215 local so it could have been either one you saw.
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Unusual for the skin to fail rather than a door blow out a la Turkish DC10 etc. Do any of you remember BA's 747 100's and 200's that went to HKG (HAECO) for modifications and cabin upgrades (sunset 1 & 2) in the early 80's?
One 747-136 (G-AWNB I think) on the r/h/s forward of door 1R, the stringers and springers had detached from the airframe around the side area where the fuselage is almost flat. After that all the 747's had their "front ends" stripped down and modified. I think some of the work was subbed out to a company in Oz.
One 747-136 (G-AWNB I think) on the r/h/s forward of door 1R, the stringers and springers had detached from the airframe around the side area where the fuselage is almost flat. After that all the 747's had their "front ends" stripped down and modified. I think some of the work was subbed out to a company in Oz.
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BBC World just finished reporting on "the big hole in side of the plane" again with a lengthy interview involving someone on a phone.
This pax said that she had just been served tea in a pot
when there was this curious "pop".
....then stuff and debriss flew throu the cabin
....etc etc.
After several minutes of speculation and the usual horror scenario stuff, the BBC interviewer returns with the most important question regarding this incident...:"What happened to the pot of tea ?"
wonder if the teapot needs councelling ???
Oh dear ....an "EXPERT" has just said it looks like a hole made by an AA gun..
This pax said that she had just been served tea in a pot
when there was this curious "pop".....then stuff and debriss flew throu the cabin....etc etc.After several minutes of speculation and the usual horror scenario stuff, the BBC interviewer returns with the most important question regarding this incident...:"What happened to the pot of tea ?"
wonder if the teapot needs councelling ???
Oh dear ....an "EXPERT" has just said it looks like a hole made by an AA gun..
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Keeping Calm
OK chaps. We don't know what caused the problem. It appears that the crew handled it professionally. Suggest that all who are not ATPLs or cabin crew or engineers should keep quiet, and those who are should comment in a professional manner. Sorry to play the schoolmaster, but some of the postings have been dire.
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Bonding?
Can't remember the exact type of material used for the forward wing-box fairing, but a little bell is ringing back there whispering it's a carbon-carbon reinforced, or carbon-reinforced fibreglass moulded section that is fitted aided by gravity in that the section "latches" onto retaining studs in the fuselage section, "hung" there and fitted, then the entire contact section bonded to the fuselage using epoxy and ultra-violet or infra-red heating to ensure the strongest possible bond betweene the two segments, prior, of course, to being spray-painted.
That particular area, together with, for example, radome hinge-joint areas and the lower sections of forward-facing cockpit window installations, have throughout the history of aviation been known blackspots for moisture intrusion... Wing box fairings aft are particularly susceptible to contact with ramp handling equipment (witness for example the number of A319 ULD-equipped incidents with Spanish-designed purpose-built "high"-loaders smashing serenely into the box), however the forward or leading-edge section of said wing-box fairing has an extrememly important function ensuring undisturbed airflow around the wing-root, over both the wing surfaces, along the fuselage and toward the tail section.
In this particular case, we do not yet know if it was an explosive decompression or if the incident was a result of a fatigue-induced "peel-away" of the bonded surfaces. In either case, the aircraft seems to have come off relatively unscathed; a blow-out would concievably have propelled detritis into Eng 3 and possibly Eng 4, the result of which would not make for bedtime reading.
It'll be interesting to follow this case through: the literature eagerly surrenders several seemingly similar cases, the most spectacular of which was the unintentional invetion of the B737 open-top Hawaii tourer.
God Speed.
That particular area, together with, for example, radome hinge-joint areas and the lower sections of forward-facing cockpit window installations, have throughout the history of aviation been known blackspots for moisture intrusion... Wing box fairings aft are particularly susceptible to contact with ramp handling equipment (witness for example the number of A319 ULD-equipped incidents with Spanish-designed purpose-built "high"-loaders smashing serenely into the box), however the forward or leading-edge section of said wing-box fairing has an extrememly important function ensuring undisturbed airflow around the wing-root, over both the wing surfaces, along the fuselage and toward the tail section.
In this particular case, we do not yet know if it was an explosive decompression or if the incident was a result of a fatigue-induced "peel-away" of the bonded surfaces. In either case, the aircraft seems to have come off relatively unscathed; a blow-out would concievably have propelled detritis into Eng 3 and possibly Eng 4, the result of which would not make for bedtime reading.
It'll be interesting to follow this case through: the literature eagerly surrenders several seemingly similar cases, the most spectacular of which was the unintentional invetion of the B737 open-top Hawaii tourer.
God Speed.
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Reports the B744 had corrosion problems
A simple search on Google reveals a report that the a/c, VH-OJK, was found to have corrosion problems in February 2008. As the first of 2 744's for QF delivered in 1991, this report makes sense!
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Evertonian
Hi all. Went offline unexpectedly sorry. To everyone who PM'd me, I apologise. As it turns out, PAX67 has posted an almost identical photo to the one I had (external) so unless you really want it, I wont tie up yer phone with a photo download.
Now, where are the conspiracy theorists? Aircraft took the Pope home...hmmmm...c'mon guys, this should've been on page 1!!!
Now, where are the conspiracy theorists? Aircraft took the Pope home...hmmmm...c'mon guys, this should've been on page 1!!!
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What an immensely strong aeroplane. Uncontrolled depressurisation is no joke. The forces on those exposed bits of airframe during the subsequent controlled, but fast, descent would be considerable and it's a tribute to the design that there wasn't massive disruption around the wing-root. I think we have an incredibly near-miss here. Hats off to the crew and also to the designers.
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www.msn.com has a link to a very short story on it.
Headline says aircraft flying Australia to London - story says London to Australia. Certainly nothing like checking the fects before publication, eh?
Had to laugh at the last line of the story.
How many nights will that be then?
Headline says aircraft flying Australia to London - story says London to Australia. Certainly nothing like checking the fects before publication, eh?
Had to laugh at the last line of the story.
The passengers will be given hotel accommodation while the aircraft is being repaired, said Alfonso Cusi, the airport’s general manager.
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Vortsa,
Same thought crossed my untrained mind but was quickly followed by "but if something between the container and skin blew a hold in the skin, then the resulting decompression could then have ruptured the container" - rather than someting in the container being the root-cause.
Bit of speed-tape - bewdifuuul...
Well done to all involved in getting -OJK safely on the deck.
Same thought crossed my untrained mind but was quickly followed by "but if something between the container and skin blew a hold in the skin, then the resulting decompression could then have ruptured the container" - rather than someting in the container being the root-cause.
Bit of speed-tape - bewdifuuul...
Well done to all involved in getting -OJK safely on the deck.
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The quality of Gazbert's picture looks as if another round of well-informed speculation is due.
If I put my theory forward, and it is right, then I can claim "I was right, I told you so."
But I won't
If I put my theory forward, and it is right, then I can claim "I was right, I told you so."
But I won't
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The Wing to Body fairing is a Honeycomb Fibreglass fairing attached to the Fuselage by screws, not bonded to the skin. If it failed it would not damage the Aircraft skin.
The Passenger Oxygen bottles are in that area of the Freight bay but i think the last one is in the area just in front of the hole, if you look closely at the pic you can see the rear edge of the velcro'd curtain that covers them. Also as all Passenger Oxygen bottles are connected to each other, if one bottle blew then I think all Passenger Oxygen pressure would be lost, but not entirely sure! The fact that all Passengers had oxygen I think rules that out.
- 747 Engineer
The Passenger Oxygen bottles are in that area of the Freight bay but i think the last one is in the area just in front of the hole, if you look closely at the pic you can see the rear edge of the velcro'd curtain that covers them. Also as all Passenger Oxygen bottles are connected to each other, if one bottle blew then I think all Passenger Oxygen pressure would be lost, but not entirely sure! The fact that all Passengers had oxygen I think rules that out.
- 747 Engineer
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Local TV in Boston is now reporting that the plane "plunged 2000 feet". I'll bet that the air at 28,000 feet is a lot easier to breathe than that thin stuff at 30,000. CBS News reporter out of London says "They are not sure if was an explosion, but it certainly was a "catostrophic" event. The lack of quality control, research and proof reading in professionial journalisim is stunning. I am to the point where I believe nothing they say or print.