This show features an interview with Keesin Ng, a passengers on a Qantas A330 aircraft that experienced a violent in-flight upset during a flight from Singapore to Perth on 7 October 2008. About 75 passengers and crew members were injured during this event, with 14 hospitalized with serious injuries such as fractures and lacerations.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, or ATSB, is currently investigating this event, and because of the extent of the injuries on board, the ATSB has classified it as an accident. In a media briefing three days after the accident, the ATSB reported that the Qantas A330-300 aircraft was in level flight at 37,000 feet when the pilots received messages from their aircraft's monitoring system indicating some kind of control system problem.
The aircraft reportedly had a uncommanded climb of about 200 feet, followed by a return back to 37,000 feet. About a minute after returning to cruising altitude, the aircraft abruptly pitched nose-down, to a maximum angle of about 8.4 degrees, and descended about 650 feet in about 20 seconds, before returning to the cruising level.
About 70 seconds later, there was a further nose-down pitch, to a maximum pitch angle of about 3.5 degrees, and the aircraft descended about 400 feet in about 16 seconds. During the first pitch-down event, a number of passengers and crew members were thrown about the cabin, resulting in a range of injuries.
The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Learmonth, landing about 40 minutes after the start of the event.
The interview occurred three days after the event with passenger Keesin Ng, who provides additional details about the in-flight drama. You can hear that interview at the link below:
Interview with Keesin Ng (MP3)
For additional information, including AirSafe.com's initial video and audio podcast about the accident and updates to the ATSB's accident investigation, visit qantas.airsafe.org
Showing posts with label incident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label incident. Show all posts
11 October 2008
07 October 2008
Serious Injuries on a Qantas A330 Flight on 7 October 2008
A Qantas Airbus A330-300, with 303 passengers and 10 crew members on board, was on a scheduled international flight from Singapore to Perth. While in cruise, the aircraft reportedly experienced some type of sudden and unexpected altitude change. The crew issued a mayday call before diverting the aircraft to the airport at Learmonth, near the town of Exmouth, about 1100 kilometers or 680 miles north of its intended destination of Perth.
Overview of the Event
Other Podcast Links
Audio: MP3
Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
About 36 passengers and crew members were injured, with over a dozen severe injuries. Reportedly, several occupants were slammed into the ceiling during the event. Most of the injuries were to passengers and crew in the rear of the aircraft, and at least one person was carried off the plane in a stretcher. About 13 of the most seriously injured were flown to Perth by four aircraft from the Royal Flying Doctor Service. One flight attendant was hospitalized with suspected head and spinal injuries. Other serious injuries included fractures, lacerations, and a concussion.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has a team of seven investigators currently working on this incident, and it will likely be several days before a preliminary cause is announced, and several months before a final report is issued.
This is the first significant passenger safety event for the A330. Qantas currently has 15 A330 aircraft in its fleet, including 10 of the A330-300 model.
This is the second significant safety event for Qantas this year. On July 25, an exploding oxygen bottle blew a hole in the fuselage of a Qantas 747 en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne, causing a rapid decompression and forcing an emergency landing in Manila. No passengers were injured in that event.
Other significant safety events for Qantas in the last decade include a 2000 event in Rome involving the collapse of a 747 landing gear, and in 1999 a landing overrun in Bangkok severely damaged another Qantas 747.
In August 2008, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia conducted a review of Qantas safety and found no system-wide safety issues, but did recommend an audit of the airline's maintenance practices, including a full maintenance audit of one aircraft from three of the models flown by Qantas, the 737-400, 747-400, and 767-300. No maintenance audit was ordered for the airline's A330 fleet.
Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation or from the Qantas maintenance audit, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
More Details on this Event
Other AirSafe.com Videos
Overview of the Event
Other Podcast Links
Audio: MP3
Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
About 36 passengers and crew members were injured, with over a dozen severe injuries. Reportedly, several occupants were slammed into the ceiling during the event. Most of the injuries were to passengers and crew in the rear of the aircraft, and at least one person was carried off the plane in a stretcher. About 13 of the most seriously injured were flown to Perth by four aircraft from the Royal Flying Doctor Service. One flight attendant was hospitalized with suspected head and spinal injuries. Other serious injuries included fractures, lacerations, and a concussion.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has a team of seven investigators currently working on this incident, and it will likely be several days before a preliminary cause is announced, and several months before a final report is issued.
This is the first significant passenger safety event for the A330. Qantas currently has 15 A330 aircraft in its fleet, including 10 of the A330-300 model.
This is the second significant safety event for Qantas this year. On July 25, an exploding oxygen bottle blew a hole in the fuselage of a Qantas 747 en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne, causing a rapid decompression and forcing an emergency landing in Manila. No passengers were injured in that event.
Other significant safety events for Qantas in the last decade include a 2000 event in Rome involving the collapse of a 747 landing gear, and in 1999 a landing overrun in Bangkok severely damaged another Qantas 747.
In August 2008, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia conducted a review of Qantas safety and found no system-wide safety issues, but did recommend an audit of the airline's maintenance practices, including a full maintenance audit of one aircraft from three of the models flown by Qantas, the 737-400, 747-400, and 767-300. No maintenance audit was ordered for the airline's A330 fleet.
Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation or from the Qantas maintenance audit, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
More Details on this Event
Other AirSafe.com Videos
28 July 2008
Qantas Investigation Update and New Secrets of AirSafe.com Episode
Update to Qantas 747 Rapid Decompression Event on 25 July 2008
Dr. Todd Curtis reviews information from provided by Australian investigators that points to a aircraft systems failure as a possible cause of the explosive decompression event. Also in the podcast, fear of flying expert Capt. Tom Bunn discusses the media's response to this incident.
To hear this podcast, please visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show58-qantas2.mp3
For the previous podcast and links to related information, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
Secrets of AirSafe.com: Key Technology Trends and How They Are Used
In this fifth episode of the special series Secrets of AirSafe.com, AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis discusses key online technological innovations, including search engines, blogs, and subscription services, that have influenced how AirSafe.com changed over time to accommodate the needs of the audience.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show57_secrets5.mp3
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show57.htm
Information about the special series is available at
http://secrets.airsafe.org
Dr. Todd Curtis reviews information from provided by Australian investigators that points to a aircraft systems failure as a possible cause of the explosive decompression event. Also in the podcast, fear of flying expert Capt. Tom Bunn discusses the media's response to this incident.
To hear this podcast, please visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show58-qantas2.mp3
For the previous podcast and links to related information, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
Secrets of AirSafe.com: Key Technology Trends and How They Are Used
In this fifth episode of the special series Secrets of AirSafe.com, AirSafe.com creator Dr. Todd Curtis discusses key online technological innovations, including search engines, blogs, and subscription services, that have influenced how AirSafe.com changed over time to accommodate the needs of the audience.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show57_secrets5.mp3
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show57.htm
Information about the special series is available at
http://secrets.airsafe.org
26 July 2008
In-Flight Emergency Involving a Qantas
747-400 Near Manila on 25 July 2008
On 25 July 2008, A Qantas airlines 747-400, with 346 passengers and 19 crew members on board, had an explosive decompression event over the South China Sea about 200 miles from Manila. The crew descended about 20,000 feet and successfully diverted to Manila. None of the passengers or crew were injured. A portion of the fuselage just forward of the wing root was found missing after the aircraft landed.
For information about other significant Qantas safety events, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/qantas.htm
For audio and video podcasts about this event, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
You can also use the links below:
Audio: MP3
Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
For information about other significant Qantas safety events, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/qantas.htm
For audio and video podcasts about this event, visit
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
You can also use the links below:
Audio: MP3
Video: WMV | iPod/MP4 | YouTube | Google Video
The transcript of this podcast is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show56.htm
For Other AirSafe.com podcasts, visit
http://podcast.airsafe.org
23 May 2008
Fear of Flying - A Basic Overview
This podcast about the fear of flying and how people are affected by this type of anxiety was first published on 23 May 2008. The transcript of the podcast, as well as a link to the MP3 audio file for the podcast, is available at http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show49.htm.
Fear of flying is a complex psychological issue, one that has been made more complex by the security concerns of the last few years. There are many books, videos, and other resources that deal with the fear of flying, so deciding what may work for you may be a difficult process.
The podcast provides a basic definition of what fear of flying is, and points out that a fear of flying may be caused by a number of factors that have no direct connection with an aircraft flight.
The podcast also provides list of symptoms or behaviors that may indicate if a person may be affected by a fear of flying.
If you would like more details about this podcast and about the fear of flying, please use the links below:
Podcast Audio (MP3)
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show49_fear.mp3
Podcast Transcript
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show49.htm
Fear of Flying Overview
http://fear.airsafe.org
Signs that You May Have Fear of Flying
http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear/signs.htm
Selected Fear of Flying Resources
http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear/soar.htm
Fear of flying is a complex psychological issue, one that has been made more complex by the security concerns of the last few years. There are many books, videos, and other resources that deal with the fear of flying, so deciding what may work for you may be a difficult process.
The podcast provides a basic definition of what fear of flying is, and points out that a fear of flying may be caused by a number of factors that have no direct connection with an aircraft flight.
The podcast also provides list of symptoms or behaviors that may indicate if a person may be affected by a fear of flying.
If you would like more details about this podcast and about the fear of flying, please use the links below:
Podcast Audio (MP3)
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show49_fear.mp3
Podcast Transcript
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show49.htm
Fear of Flying Overview
http://fear.airsafe.org
Signs that You May Have Fear of Flying
http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear/signs.htm
Selected Fear of Flying Resources
http://www.airsafe.com/issues/fear/soar.htm
21 May 2008
Investigation Update #4 for the British Airways 777 Crash of 17 January 2008
This is the fourth update from AirSafe.com on the ongoing investigation into the accident at London's Heathrow Airport involving a British Airways 777. This update is based on information released by the AAIB the week of 11 May 2008.
This article is based on the AirSafe.com podcast published on 20 May 2008. The podcast, available at http:/podcast.airsafe.org, presents the highlights of the most recent update from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch concerning the status of the investigation. There is a brief review of the details of the accident, followed by a discussion of the new information provided by the AAIB report, and an analysis of the progress of the investigation.
The accident aircraft was a scheduled international flight from Beijing, China to London, England, and the flight was routine until about two miles from touchdown. The engines would not respond to commands to increase thrust, and as a result the aircraft touched down about 1000 feet short of the runway. There was a significant fuel leak, but no post-crash fire. All 136 passengers and 16 crew members were able to successfully evacuate the aircraft, and the most serious injury was a broken leg suffered by one passenger.
The three previous AAIB updates in January and February 2008 provided detailed information about the flight, including the state of the fuel and fuel systems, and the condition of the engines and their associated control systems. You'll find details about the previous updates, as well as links to previous podcasts describing the accident sequence, at http://777.airsafe.org.
For the last several months, the AAIB has focused on the fuel and fuel systems of the aircraft. Extensive examination of the aircraft and detailed analysis of information from the flight data recorder and other onboard recording systems have revealed no evidence of an aircraft or engine control system malfunction.
The fuel was extensively tested, and showed no evidence of contamination or excessive water content. Although the aircraft had experienced very cold temperatures, the fuel temperature remained well above freezing. Detailed examination of the fuel system revealed a loose connection in one of the fuel lines as well as the presence of small pieces of debris, but these conditions led to no unusual deterioration or physical blockages.
The ongoing investigation has also found no evidence that a wake vortex encounter, bird strike, engine icing, or electromagnetic interference played a role in the accident. The focus of the investigation continues to be the fuel system and the engines, with the goal of understanding why neither engine responded to demands for increased power even though all of the engine control functions operated normally.
Under the direction of the AAIB, the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and the aircraft manufacturer Boeing are conducting further tests on the engines and fuel system with the goal of replicating the fuel system performance seen in the accident flight. Additional work is being conducted to gain a more complete understanding of the dynamics of the fuel as it flows from the tank to the engine.
No individual parameter associated with the accident flight was outside of previous operating experience. However, the AAIB is using a data analysis team to review data from a large sample of flights on similar aircraft to see if there was a combination of parameters that was outside of previous experience.
Unlike the last AAIB interim report issued in February 2008, this report did not contain any recommended operational changes for the 777.
I'd like to take a moment to share my opinion about the progress of this investigation. This crash investigation has not yet come up with an explanation for what happened. This is in spite of having a largely intact aircraft, a large volume of data from the accident aircraft and comparison data from similar flights, and the combined resources the engine manufacturer, the aircraft manufacturer, and the British government. This probably means that if the AAIB does come up with an explanation for why the accident happened, the explanation will include a combination of circumstances that had not been previously anticipated by aircraft designers or aircraft operators.
The suggestions made in previous AirSafe.com podcasts about how to evaluate what's being published about this investigation are still valid .
If you're interested in following the investigation online or in the news media, keep in mind that prior to the completion of the investigation by the AAIB, anyone outside of the investigation, including aviation safety experts and the largest news media organizations, will have access only to a fraction of the relevant information.
The AAIB will likely provide several more updates prior to publishing a final report, and these updates represent the most authoritative sources of information about the ongoing investigation.
Podcast Audio and Video
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
Podcast Transcript
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show48.htm
Additional Accident Details and Related Podcasts
http://777.airsafe.org
This article is based on the AirSafe.com podcast published on 20 May 2008. The podcast, available at http:/podcast.airsafe.org, presents the highlights of the most recent update from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch concerning the status of the investigation. There is a brief review of the details of the accident, followed by a discussion of the new information provided by the AAIB report, and an analysis of the progress of the investigation.
The accident aircraft was a scheduled international flight from Beijing, China to London, England, and the flight was routine until about two miles from touchdown. The engines would not respond to commands to increase thrust, and as a result the aircraft touched down about 1000 feet short of the runway. There was a significant fuel leak, but no post-crash fire. All 136 passengers and 16 crew members were able to successfully evacuate the aircraft, and the most serious injury was a broken leg suffered by one passenger.
The three previous AAIB updates in January and February 2008 provided detailed information about the flight, including the state of the fuel and fuel systems, and the condition of the engines and their associated control systems. You'll find details about the previous updates, as well as links to previous podcasts describing the accident sequence, at http://777.airsafe.org.
For the last several months, the AAIB has focused on the fuel and fuel systems of the aircraft. Extensive examination of the aircraft and detailed analysis of information from the flight data recorder and other onboard recording systems have revealed no evidence of an aircraft or engine control system malfunction.
The fuel was extensively tested, and showed no evidence of contamination or excessive water content. Although the aircraft had experienced very cold temperatures, the fuel temperature remained well above freezing. Detailed examination of the fuel system revealed a loose connection in one of the fuel lines as well as the presence of small pieces of debris, but these conditions led to no unusual deterioration or physical blockages.
The ongoing investigation has also found no evidence that a wake vortex encounter, bird strike, engine icing, or electromagnetic interference played a role in the accident. The focus of the investigation continues to be the fuel system and the engines, with the goal of understanding why neither engine responded to demands for increased power even though all of the engine control functions operated normally.
Under the direction of the AAIB, the engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and the aircraft manufacturer Boeing are conducting further tests on the engines and fuel system with the goal of replicating the fuel system performance seen in the accident flight. Additional work is being conducted to gain a more complete understanding of the dynamics of the fuel as it flows from the tank to the engine.
No individual parameter associated with the accident flight was outside of previous operating experience. However, the AAIB is using a data analysis team to review data from a large sample of flights on similar aircraft to see if there was a combination of parameters that was outside of previous experience.
Unlike the last AAIB interim report issued in February 2008, this report did not contain any recommended operational changes for the 777.
I'd like to take a moment to share my opinion about the progress of this investigation. This crash investigation has not yet come up with an explanation for what happened. This is in spite of having a largely intact aircraft, a large volume of data from the accident aircraft and comparison data from similar flights, and the combined resources the engine manufacturer, the aircraft manufacturer, and the British government. This probably means that if the AAIB does come up with an explanation for why the accident happened, the explanation will include a combination of circumstances that had not been previously anticipated by aircraft designers or aircraft operators.
The suggestions made in previous AirSafe.com podcasts about how to evaluate what's being published about this investigation are still valid .
If you're interested in following the investigation online or in the news media, keep in mind that prior to the completion of the investigation by the AAIB, anyone outside of the investigation, including aviation safety experts and the largest news media organizations, will have access only to a fraction of the relevant information.
The AAIB will likely provide several more updates prior to publishing a final report, and these updates represent the most authoritative sources of information about the ongoing investigation.
Podcast Audio and Video
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
Podcast Transcript
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show48.htm
Additional Accident Details and Related Podcasts
http://777.airsafe.org
21 February 2008
Investigation Update #3 for the British Airways 777 Crash of 17 January 2008
This is the third update from AirSafe.com on the ongoing investigation into the accident at London's Heathrow Airport involving a British Airways 777. This update is based on information released by the AAIB on 18 February 2008, and focuses on analyses of the fuel system, the engines, and their associated control systems. You can listen to or watch the podcast at the following links:
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
The links below will take you to additional related resources.
Additional Details About this Accident: http://777.airsafe.org
Transcript and Timeline for this Podcast
Other Podcasts
Video of the Podcast
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube
The links below will take you to additional related resources.
Additional Details About this Accident: http://777.airsafe.org
Transcript and Timeline for this Podcast
Other Podcasts
Video of the Podcast
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