Quantas Emergency Landing at Learmonth

[Seal]

Fifty injured in mid-air incident

 

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By staff writers | October 07, 2008

 

UP to 50 people were injured when Qantas Airbus carrying more than 300 people made an emergency landing in Western Australia.

 

The flight - QF72 from Singapore - made the landing at Learmonth Airport, near Exmouth, just before 2pm.

 

Police Media's Inspector Wayne Silver said the flight had landed safely, but preliminary information suggested there had been some sort of "instrument failure" and turbulence.

 

Insp Silver said there were reports of passengers sustaining severe lacerations and broken bones.

 

Emergency services and medical staff are at the airport.

 

 

[trevorp]

Just came from the airport,the word from a volunteer ambo officer and airport staff was they had 40 people injured. So i guess by 7pm news it should be up to 70 to 90 injured. The plane looked fine.

 

 

[Seal]

Current reports now talking "15 or so" serious injuries and blaming severe clear air turbulence for a rapid altitude loss.

 

 

[trevorp]

Just got home from transfering passengers from the domestic side across to RAAF side of Learmonth airport, to board the Qantas 767 to take pax to Perth, it had to park there because the domestic apron had the A330 which fell 8000m plus a national jet ba-e146 which was getting front window replaced[which happened the day before] and a small twin and a cessna 172 plus a RFDS [1st of 5 that turned up] which left just enough space for the Qantas 717 that also came to ferry pax to Perth. I heard 20 pax req hospital treatment and another 20 recieved 1st aid at airport.

 

Exmouth hospital only had 9 beds available and 2 doctors. Exmouth township is 38km north of Learmonth RAAF base.

 

Couple of gents on the bus was talking about how inside the plane it looked like a bomb had gone off from all the mess, i said to them it must have been pretty horrific, he said it was bloody terrifying. He was saying to a few "did you see that old lady who was stuck to the ceiling for ages" i said "we will have to call her velcro" didnt get any smiles.

 

Anyway it was good to see all the VOLUNTEER'S Ambo's,SES and Fire'ies doing a good job, and also hats off to the flight crew.

 

My tip for the day, If your flying or driving "Buckle Up" Trevor.

 

 

[Guest Pabloako]

If this is true, it is bad news for Qantas

 

ABC News

 

Computer glitch may be behind Qantas incident: ATSB

 

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has pointed to a possible computer problem as a cause for yesterday's Qantas emergency.

 

The Qantas Airbus was on route to Perth from Singapore when it descended suddenly, injuring more than 40 passengers.

 

The ATSB says until it can analyse the flight data recorders it can not determine the exact cause of the problem.

 

But director of aviation safety investigation Julian Walsh says the flight crew received a message of an irregularity in the elevator control system.

 

"The aircraft departed normal flight and climbed 300 feet, the aircraft did that of its own accord and then whilst the crew were doing the normal actions in response to that not normal situation the aircraft then pitched down suddenly and quite rapidly," he said.

 

Mr Walsh says an Airbus representative is currently travelling to Australia.

 

Injuries

 

Qantas says the pilot decided to make the emergency landing yesterday because of the injuries passengers received when the plane plunged unexpectedly.

 

Forty-six people were injured, 20 seriously, including some with spinal injuries.

 

Several passengers have reported hearing loud noises before the landing, but Qantas chief pilot Peter Wilson says he will not speculate on what happened.

 

He said the captain made a decision to land based on his training.

 

"He was aware that there were injuries on board and as such he made the decision to land at Learmonth, which was the closest airport," he said.

 

Captain Wilson says the plane is still at Learmonth where engineers are assessing it.

 

He has assured the public the airline has one of the world's highest safety records.

 

However Captain Wilson admits it has been a tough few months for Qantas.

 

"I think that's probably fair to say but again I wish to emphasise you know our safety record and the standard of our pilots and our crews is amongst the highest in the world," he said.

 

"The training, the money that is spent on them, and the training that they have, they are an extraordinarily professional and competent group of people."