new ltd report
 

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/...009000,00.html

Qantas safety record under threat

By Steve Creedy February 12, 2008 05:53am
QANTAS'S jealously guarded reputation for never having lost a jet aircraft is under threat following an accident involving a Boeing 717.
The Qantaslink jet carrying 84 passengers from Nhulunbuy, in Arnhem Land, was substantially damaged when it landed heavily after a sudden loss of altitude as it came into land in Darwin last Thursday.

The heavy landing produced wrinkling in the aircraft's skin at the rear of the fuselage, suggesting possible damage to the airframe and prompting speculation that the plane is a write-off.

Although the leased aircraft was operated for Qantaslink by National Jet Systems, a write-off would be the first under Qantas colours.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is investigating, yesterday described the damage to the aircraft as "substantial".
An ATSB spokesman was unable to say last night whether the aircraft could be repaired.

"There have been engineers called to inspect the aircraft, but whether it's a write-off or whether it's reparable I don't think is known," he said.

Qantaslink issued a short statement confirming the Boeing 717 operating from Cairns via Nhulunbuy to Darwin was involved in a heavy landing. It said there were no injuries, and passengers disembarked normally.

"The incident is being investigated in consultation with Boeing (and) National Jet Systems, which operates the aircraft on behalf of Qantaslink," Qantas group general manager regional airlines Narendra Kumar said.

"As required, the incident has been reported to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the ATSB."

Asked whether the aircraft would be written off, a spokeswoman said: "The investigation is under way and we've got to await the outcome."

The airline has an enviable reputation for air safety. A move to repair a Boeing 747-400, which ran off a runway in Bangkok in 1999 costing about $100m, was widely seen as a move to protect that record.

Northern Territory News Darwin has it written off
 

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...33_ntnews.html

Qantas jet written off after NT landing
PHOEBE STEWART
12Feb08
A $35MILLION Qantas jet is believed tohave been written off after a "heavy landing" in Darwin.
The Boeing 717 jet bumped down at Darwin airport on February 7 after flying from Cairns via Nhulunbuy.
None of the 84 passengers were hurt and they were able to "disembark normally" from the plane, the airline said yesterday.
A report said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau had listed the incident on its air safety database and had described damage to the plane as "substantial".
It said the Bureau reported the plane entered an area of "high sink", forcing it to land heavily, "wrinkling" the aircraft's fuselage.
But spokesman Geoge Nadal denied the information had come from the Bureau.
He confirmed that the heavy landing had been reported and was under investigation. An air safety expert is due to arrive in Darwin soon.
Mr Nadal said the outcome of the investigation would depend on the "complexity" ofthe incident.
Qantas said it could not comment on whether the plane had been written off but said the aircraft was out of action.
Qantaslink general manager of regional airlines Narendra Kumar said the flight - operating as QF1944 from Cairns - was being investigated in consultation with Boeing and National Jets Systems, which operated the aircraft on behalf of Qantaslink.
He said the incident had been reported to air safety authorities.
The QantasLink jet is one of 11 in the Territory's fleet of 717s, operated by NationalJet Systems.

No pictures or video?? The muckety-mucks over at HQ must be breaking out the good stuff about now - after thanking their lucky charms that is.

She's no worse than the blokes!
 

I am regular SLF on that flight, in that aircraft (I work at Nhulunbuy...)

All the QantasLink drivers throw it at the ground. Those of us in the back are surprised any time we walk away with fillings still in our teeth. Chances are the guys aboard in Darwin didn't notice anything unusual.

Believe me, the girl is no worse than any of the boys on that run. Some of us call the flight a "throw-down".

A Throw-Down is either a very ancient Australian fire-cracker -- you throw it on the ground and it explodes, or a very small Australian beer bottle -- you throw a few down then you explode. Or a QantasLink B717 :-)

I've been meaning to ask on this forum for some time: "Why" do the QF drivers all throw it at the ground? We have the smoothest flying conditions in the world, yet every one ends with an almighty thump! SQ drivers don't do it, BA drivers don't do it, Thai doesn't do it, Gulf Air, Air NZ, Air China, China Southern...

Why does only the Flying Kangaroo whack its a**e on the ground like that? It has gotta be a SOP, it happens too often to be chance.

Enquiring minds...

If it hits the fan they may well be able to hide behind the contractural arrangements as to who crews the aircraft, but for the record, QantasLink is 100% owned by Qantas. Additionally, QantasLink aircraft are owned or leased via Qantas, or Qantas-owned leasing companies.

In any event, an isolated heavy landing by a single aircraft will not hurt them.

MD-80 hard landing.
 

The video clip was taken during minimum landing distance parameters at Edwards AFB. I seem to recall that an FAA pilot was PIC at the time. The main L/Gs bottomed out but didn't even break any seals and no damage to the wing structure. The tail was replaced and the aircraft rejoined the test program. The only crew injury was to someone standing in the doorway behind the pilots; he broke his ankles.

Must have been very expensive, for I have seen a clearer video of this that also shows the front fuselage breaking about 20 feet aft of the cockpit. It was extremely bent. Very surprised it was repaired. Standing up on a risky landing. STRANGE!

Qantas had a couple of serious incidents on 707s in the sixties. One that I witnessed at Paya Lebar, was a 707 landing hard on 02 and subsequently going around, barely missing the coconut trees at the end of 02. Apparently the landing was carried out by the PF under training in the right hand seat. RW02 had a dip at the approach end, the aircraft hit the runway nosewheel first, displacing the nosegear rearwards and thereby splitting the fuselage in the L41 area. A repair team flew out from Sydney and they patched up the aircraft for an unpressurised ferry flight back to Sydney. Luckily, there were no injuries to pax or crew. The other incident was on a 707 night flight, eastbound over India when the Capt's AH toppled. Capt. disconnected the A/P and followed the toppling AH. Aircraft went into steep left bank before recovery. As far as I remember, neither incident was publicised at the time.

Ah! yes...Qantas...the worlds safest airline after the Dutch mob!!

Yeah!...in your dreams!!

Mods
Historic stuff on here but the real story is on D & G.
Can you pull them together or scrub this one and move the other over here?

Typical media BS--they hook you with the headline stating "A" while the more-detailed text of the story stating "B", which is quite different from "A".

Capn Bloggs, for what it's worth, you made me laugh!
(One or two people do appear quite short in the humour detection department.)

John,
You've got to maintain yer sense of humour in this game! :D

Pilot: "Sorry."

Was that 'sorry' approved by everyman and his dog?:}

Well they can't be trying too hard to hide it, 'twas parked on the ramp this afternoon. Whilst I don't pretend to have any engineering background, a walk around the machine revealed far less damage than I had envisaged, given the speculation on this and other threads.

Speculation I understand. But I don't understand such negative speculation, almost hoping for a writeoff.

With a Kangaroo as company logo should a hop skip not be inline with the company logo:O

What a sad indictment of the posters here that after a fairly slanderous initial post that no-one here has said anything about the reports of why it happened :ugh:

Typical antipodean c:mad:p. and an interesting contrast to the BA incident :sad:

ps Like the vid link.

pps Don't mistake the moniker for the gender :=

antipodean: "relating to the antipodes or situated at opposite sides of the earth"

I have no doubt that a lot of cr"p happens at the antipodes of Australia too. :}

amos2
 

You referring to GoodAndReliableUnderDutchAdministration?