SYD-bound QANTAS A380 turns back to L.A. following burst water pipe
 

A friend has just told me his LAX to SYD flight was turned back after 50 mins due to water leaking through from First to Economy. Looks pretty alarming:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BriF60JCMAA1bLP.jpg

Qantas flight from Los Angeles turns back after water pipe leaks

I can't remember seeing something like this before - it also shows the sheer quantity of water these big birds hold these days.

Looks a tad wet, I wonder how much damage has been done.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BriXoV3CUAAS_vw.jpg

On a serious note, as it appears that the leaks will have contaminated many areas of the aircraft, how on earth will they dry out the massive aircraft and what might be a likely future for said A380 ? That's going to give the maintenance guys a few headaches….

No "Shut Down" of the system performed ?

saw one article saying melbourne was the destination, but not sure.

understand the flying giant has over 500 gallons of potable water.

time to call water clean up team

On AOL this story is illustrated by a nice 747 pic. Boeing will be pleased.

* Airbus are stated as the plane maker in the actual story.

"it also shows the sheer quantity of water these big birds hold these days"

No it doesnt. It takes very little water to cover a level surface. Impossible to judge from the picture.

It is concerning, based on experiences with liquids dropping into electronics elsewhere, and the 380 has a bit of electronics....let's hope the waterproofing is good.

Luckily most of it is located just above and aft of the cockpit, where you can not use that space in a useful way. So all that expensive stuff probably is warm and dry...

If I'd been ol' skip, I'd have been a bit worried about free surface effect in the pitching plane.

Water and electronics don't mix, but water can also freeze at altitude if in an unheated area.. all area's need to be inspected.. don't want anything jamming up do we.!!

apart from all the IFE but you knew that didn't you.:ugh:

Speaking as an engineer and as a freight item in that part of the plane behind the pilots, I would say that it takes a hell of a lot of water to soak a carpeted aisle to the extent that there appear to be ripples if not actual minor wavelets.

In an environment chock full of electronics I'd be alarmed at the introduction of water. Water plus gravity plus electricity usually equals disaster. I've seen it happen.

Then again I realise that the engineers working on this stuff generally get the message.

I seem to remember QF also had a water soaked B744 which had all it's power knocked out in 2008. Correctly pre-stated, water + electrics = not good.

According to the Qantas engineering manager, Airbus have said that their was "no safety of flight risk and that critical systems of the aircraft are protected from issues such as water, heat and mechanical damage". (Of course, things might be lost in translation from French to English) :}

I wonder if the passengers have similar safeguards :P (QF engineers don't. One suffered an electric shock working on a toilet this week)

Boeing also did risk analyses on the 744. VH-OJM proved Murphy's Law yet again. We treat manufacturers' claims with a little more respect than spin doctors, but still....

I won't be installing a light switch in my shower recess, even if I have a protective circuit in my fusebox.

Lots of water sloshing about in the fuselage might do interesting things to the CofG and trim.

I don't know about Qantas but Emirates has showers in First and Business on its 380s. They must carry a lot of water.

That's not much weight, 500 UK gallons of water = 5000 lbs

Taking a flow rate of 0.10litre/sec for a shower the Emirates A 380's have I believe 80 First and Business class seats, so allow 5 minutes in the shower =

Flow 0.10x60 = 6 litres x 5 minutes = 30 litres times this by 80 and you end up with 2400 litres of water or 2.4 cubic metres, or for the mass 2.4 tonnes

BUT OF COURSE WATER DISPERSANT FIRE/SMOKE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS WERE REJECTED AS TOO DIFFICULT??!

But it's ok to carry the weight if the fatcats need a shower before they get to the arrival terminal..........

Back to my own planet please, and make it quick.....!

Of course the liquid content of the "honey tank" could always be used for smoke/fire suppression, no extra weight penalty bar the pumps and distribution system......

Of course, recycling 'First' water to 'Business' saves a lot.