Qantas

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    Qantas Emergency Landing in Perth


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Paul Spijkers

    What: Qantas Airways Boeing 747-400
    Where: emergency landing in Perth
    When: Sep 2, 2009
    Who: 290 passengers
    Why: Four hours into the 7/12 hour flight, a fuel leak occurred. Engine 4, the source, was shut down as a consequence. 90 minutes after the leak was detected, the plane made a safe emergency landing in Perth. Last year an exploding oxygen tank blew a hole in this very plane; but there is no connection.

    George’s Point of View

    Last year an exploding oxygen tank blew a hole in this very plane; but there is no connection, except perhaps that Qantas crew was able to handle and contain the situation both times.

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    Qantas Turbulence Downs Plane in Sydney


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer John Richard Thomson

    What: Qantas Boeing 767-300 en route from Sydney to Christchurch
    Where: Christchurch
    When: Aug 26th 2009
    Who: not available
    Why: While on route, the flight experienced severe turbulence. Fortunately the plane landed safely; however, the turbulence damaged the plane and cancelled the return trip so that the plane’s damage could be addressed.

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    Qantas Airbus Nosegear Fails at Heathrow


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact Photographer Alasdair Mulhern

    What: Qantas Airbus A380-800 en route from Singapore to London
    Where: London Heathrow
    When: Jul 4th 2009
    Why: The first approach was aborted due to a nose gear issue. After landing, nose gear steering failed, and the plane was towed. However, repairs were made so that on the return flight, the delay was only about two hours.

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    Quantas Airbus Survives Turbulent Flight

    What: Qantas Airbus A330-300 en route from Hong Kong China to Perth Australia
    Where: Perth
    When: Jun 22nd 2009
    Who: 206 passengers and 13 crew
    Why: A Qantas Airbus (like the one in the Air France crash) was off Borneo when it encountered turbulence that made it lose 800 feet in altitude, and injured a dozen passengers and one crew member aboard. Passengers reported that the turbulence sent crew, passengers and carts flying.

    Although web reportsby word of mouth include statements that crystals formed on the Airbus instruments, there’s no credible source collaborating the allegation; the crew reported the turbulence as a purely meteorological event. Lightning flashes were seen but the plane did NOT fly through a thunderstorm.

    George’s Point of View

    Is this the boy who cried wolf? Or a case of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire?”

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    Qantas Towing Accident


    What: 2 Boeing 747s being towed.
    Where: Qantas maintenance base at Avalon airport outside Melbourne.
    When: 11/18/2008
    Who: Maintenance staff was responsible. No passengers were involved.
    Why: The planes ran into each other at the maintenance base. One plane hit the left wing of the other. The nose cone collapsed; the wing was dented.

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    Safety-Minded Qantas heeds Landing gear Indicators

    What: Qantas Boeing 767 en route from Melbourne Airport bound for Sydney,
    Where: Flight 434 left Melbourne at 1.30pm (AEDT) and landed back at Tullamarine at 2.15pm.
    When: shortly after 2:00pm (AEDT)
    Why: After the pilot discovered a fault with landing gear indicators, he returned to the airport where passengers deplaned and took another flight. Passengers were delayed more than two hours.

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    Airbus A330-300 Turbulence Shakes UP Qantas

    What: Qantas plane en route from Singapore to Perth in Western Australia when it was
    Where: forced to land at Learmonth airport near the remote coastal town of Exmouth, 745 miles north of Perth
    When: 1:45 p.m. local time.
    Who: 303 passengers, 10 crew members. Half of the passengers were from Australia, the other half from China. Thirty-six people suffered broken bones and other injuries (spinal, broken noses, broken limbs, lacerations, etc)
    Why: A “mid-air incident” forced the plane to make an emergency landing. sudden change of altitude caused problems while the Airbus A330-300 was traveling in what is known as “level flight.” Passengers and crew sustained injuries, including fractures and lacerations, on board QF72. Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it is sending seven investigators to work on the investigation. Confidence in Qantas sterling safety reputation is falling.