Qantas 747-400 has to make emergency landing in Manila after explosive decompression
Well, bizarrely after my last post, a Qantas 747 en route from London Heathrow to Melbourne in Australia via Hong Kong has had to make an emergency landing in Manila after an explosive decompression, that left a 3 meter gaping hole in the side of the fusilage.
Nobody died, and everybody was safely evacuated.
Here is a video from you tube taken by one of the passengers on board!
For full details and pictures click on the link: Daily Mail (However, before you do - in the news story it tells of how the plane ‘plummeted’ 20,000ft after the bang, as though it were a terrifying result. Bf assures me that this would have been a completely controlled descent to a safe breathing altitude. It is standard practice after a decompression at high altitude… News papers do like to ‘ham it up’ don’t they?!)
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Update: Apparently they think it could have been caused by a faulty oxygen cylinder!
Partner of a Pilot - July 27, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Well this story just shows that the press likes to hype things. The pilots did exactly what they were supposed to do: they started an emergency descent to 10,000 ft (where the air is thin but breathable), and they diverted to the closest airport. Except for the hole in the fuselage, the airplane was perfectly flyable, and it’s sad that the press has to ‘hype’ things. The pilots did a marvelous job sticking to their training and checklists. It shows how safe flying is really.
Alex - July 28, 2008 at 7:03 am
Yes, agreed
Partner of a Pilot - July 28, 2008 at 11:33 am