Thread: Hole in plane

Originally Posted by tempestv8

I wonder what the realistic lifespan of these Boeing 747s are. I don't know if I would be using a 17 year old vehicle for a long trip

A complex 17 year old long haul plane that flies over the ocean, carrying 300+ passengers just sounds like courting trouble.

i'm just glad they dont make planes at eh......solihul

Funny that .
I recall talking to an RAAF maintenance guy many years ago, and he told me they had to have an electrician sitting on the wing of Vampires as they taxiid to ensure everything worked when they went to take off as the electrics were so unreliable.
Also Viscounts were apparently a nightmare and one of the reasons TAA and Ansett went to Electras, which had their own problems.
Joseph Lucas must have made the electrics.
Regard sPhilip A

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

I have a friend in the industry and the word on the inside is that it was the oxygen units (they are located just there) or a bomb. Most likely is the oxygen units as they do occasionally explode If you look at the pictures the hole is actually fairly small but the damage looks much bigger because the fairing has been blown away.

I'd say they are very lucky that bits didn't hit the horizontal stab. Now that could have been nasty.

At that altitude you've got less than 30 seconds until everybody passes out. The crew would have grabbed and fitted their masks then yanked the throttle back and thumped the stick forward and descended as fast as they could while keeping within speed limits. It would have been a wild ride. Think Vomit Comet.

didn't see the pics the other day... anyone got some to post here from the media !

Originally Posted by matbor

didn't see the pics the other day... anyone got some to post here from the media !

Your wish is my command.

See In photos: 'Philippines Qantas Plane Emergency Landing'

John

certainly looks like some kind of explosion, otherwise the front panels forward of the hole wouldn't of ripped off ! imo !

Originally Posted by matbor

certainly looks like some kind of explosion, otherwise the front panels forward of the hole wouldn't of ripped off ! imo !

an O2 bottle tends to have a fair bit of stored up energy

Latest theories seem to implicate the oxygen cylinder, which is missing. But of course, it may have just been lost through the hole which was caused through some other agency.

Tests and sniffer dogs are said to have shown no evidence of explosives or residues anywhere on the aircraft.

Worth noting that regardless of the initial cause, once the pressure hull was breached, the escaping pressure at 29,000ft would have blown off the outer fairing at the wing root, and could have taken the oxygen cylinder out as well, even if it was not involved.

Too early to say what it was, but I expect that a definite answer will be found. If not, it will make air travel rather unsettling!

John

JDNSW quote:
"Tests and sniffer dogs are said to have shown no evidence of explosives or residues anywhere on the aircraft."

There was a quickly gagged report that this was conducted by "a United States of America agency" and that both Australian agencies and Qantas were denied access to the plane during the process. ( a delay of some 12 hours. )

mmmmmm!!!!