Dozens of people were injured earlier today, October 7, 2008, when a Qantas A330-300 aircraft experienced what the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) referred to as a sudden in-flight upset. Qantas described the event as a sudden change of altitude. According to the ATSB, the crew declared a MAYDAY and diverted to Learmonth, near Exmouth, in Western Australia, where they made an emergency landing at about 13:45 local time.
The aircraft (registration VH-QPA), operating as Qantas Flight QF72, was cruising in level flight en route from Singapore to Perth with 303 passengers and 10 crew on board at the time of the incident. An ATSB media release said that the event resulted in injuries to a number of cabin crew and passengers, primarily in the rear of the aircraft. The ATSB said: "Early reports indicate that three cabin crew and approximately 30 passengers sustained injuries, including about 15 with serious injuries, namely broken bones and lacerations."
The injured were taken to Exmouth Hospital for treatment. Several news media reports said that some of the more seriously injured were later flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Qantas sent two aircraft -- a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 717 -- to Learmonth from Perth to collect passengers and crew.
Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery to all those who were injured.
UPDATE Oct. 8, 2008: Both the Qantas and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued statements today with a few more details about the events on Qantas Flight QF72, which the ATSB has now officially classified as an accident: ATSB statement; Qantas statement.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Dozens injured in Qantas Airbus A330 'sudden in-flight upset'
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2 comments:
Usually, it's turbulence. Seatbelts help.
This QF72 air accident reveals something that the authoritIES should look into - A holistic way of inter-agency handling /helping the passengers/crew when an accident happened. "Empowerment for officer-in-charge to make Decision or Exception" in the interest of TIME and well being of the passengers (& crews) in emergency circumstances - it was a MayDay call.
There was this long 3 hour wait just for the 300 odd QF72 passengers/crews to have their Passport/travel documents processed at the 2 temp desks at Lemouth. Passengers had requested via Qantas officer to the authority to delay the processing of travel documents till passengers arrive Perth, but he said he sympatised our long wait but the authority had turned it down! The 2 Qantas pickup planes (767 &717) arrived there had waited for at least 3-4 hours at lemouth for paper work that could had been done at Perth!
Passengers were confined in waiting room where cellular network reception was very poor, and police had guarded the confinement so strict - they were doing the job according to the book! Passenger could not even go to the next hall where they can buy foods/candies/papers etc. from the airport shop. The lapse time for the wait was more than 11 Hours at Lemouth. Felt like refugees landed in alien country call Australia!
Whoever in charge in Lemouth, he carried out according to the book - with NO EXCEPTION or call to higher authority to obtain exception!
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