Qantas Flight 30
Encyclopedia
Qantas Flight 30 was a Qantas
Boeing 747-438
, construction number 25067, registered in Australia as VH-OJK. QF30 was a scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport
to Melbourne Airport
with a stopover in Hong Kong International Airport
on 25 July 2008. The flight was interrupted when an oxygen tank exploded causing a fuselage
rupture just forward of the starboard wing root. There were no injuries and the plane made an emergency descent to a breathable altitude of about 10,000 feet and eventually made an emergency landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport
, Metro Manila
, Philippines
.
The flight left Hong Kong on 25 July 2008 shortly after 9:00 am HKT
(0100 UTC). At 10:17 HKT (0217 UTC), passengers and crew heard a loud bang; the cabin de-pressurised and a hole in the floor of the passenger deck appeared, as well as a hole in the outside wall of the cargo deck. During the emergency, parts of the aircraft's floor and ceiling collapsed. Passengers reported that, despite the noise and the deployment of the oxygen masks, there was very little panic. The pilots conducted an emergency descent from 29,000 feet to ensure adequate oxygen supply for the passengers, reaching 10,000 feet by 02:24 UTC.
After the accident, numerous passengers said that some oxygen masks
did not deploy, whilst others had deteriorated elastic. Consequently, it was reported that one passenger smashed a panel of the ceiling to attempt to gain access to the masks. It was stated that these passengers were deprived of oxygen until the plane was lowered to a breathable altitude. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau
interviewed passengers who reported problems with the oxygen masks as part of their investigation.
The hole in the fuselage — roughly in an inverted T-shape — was up to 2.01 m wide and approximately 1.52 m high, located on the right side of the fuselage, below cabin floor level and immediately forward of the wing. The wing-fuselage fairing was missing, revealing some palletised cargo in the hold, however the freight forwarder
reported that all items on the manifest were accounted for. Other than some items which were located near the cylinder and resulting hole, no other cargo or baggage on the flight was damaged.
The airline, in a news release, said there were no reports of injuries. A few passengers reportedly displayed signs of nausea upon exiting the aircraft.
led the investigation, sending 4 investigators to Manila
to conduct a detailed inspection of the aircraft, with Qantas, the USA's National Transportation Safety Board
, Federal Aviation Administration
, Boeing
, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority
and the Civil Aviation Authority
of the Philippines also involved.
Soon after the accident, the ATSB announced that air safety investigators found that an oxygen cylinder
which was located in the area of the explosion hadn't been accounted for, but that it was too early to say that an oxygen cylinder could be the cause of the mid-air explosion on QF30. Regardless, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority ordered Qantas to inspect all of its oxygen cylinders and brackets which hold the cylinders on its Boeing 747 fleet. The valve and mounting brackets were found, but not the bottle, number four of thirteen fitted in that bank. A senior investigator, Neville Blyth, reported that the cylinder valve was found inside the cabin, having punched a hole "at least twenty centimetres in diameter" through the cabin floor.
Blyth said that the flight recorder
s were to be analysed in the Canberra
laboratories of the ATSB. However, because the plane had remained airborne and operational throughout the incident, the cockpit voice recorder
does not contain records of the initial event itself; its two hour memory had been overwritten with recordings taking place after this event, during the diversion and landing. The twenty-four hour flight data recorder
does contain data covering the entire incident.
On 29 August, the ATSB gave an update confirming further aspects of the initial investigation. They stated that these initial investigations had found that the aircraft took about five and a half minutes to descend from the decompression event at 29,000 feet to the altitude of 10,000 feet and that it appeared that part of an oxygen cylinder and its valve had entered the passenger cabin, then impacted with the number 2 right door handle, turning it part way. The ATSB noted that there was no risk of the door being opened by this movement, with the door systems performing as designed. All three of the aircraft's instrument landing system
s as well as the anti-skid braking system were unavailable for the landing; the pilots subsequently landed the aircraft without using those systems. Most of the oxygen masks deployed in the incident, with 426 out of the 476 deployed being activated by the 346 passengers, pulling them down to activate the flow of oxygen.
in the cargo area, according to a preliminary finding of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
:
directives regarding problems with the masks on this and several other Boeing commercial aircraft models.
The ATSB issued two Safety Advisory Notices, advising responsible organisations to review procedures, equipment, techniques and personnel qualifications for maintenance, inspection and handling of aviation oxygen cylinders.
From the summary released by the ATSB:
on 10 November 2008. The original captain and first officer were part of the ferry crew. The only work that remained to be done at that point was replacement of the carpets and seat covers. On 18 November 2008, with all work complete, the aircraft was damaged again when another Qantas Boeing 747
collided with it at Avalon.
The aircraft was eventually returned to service on 15 January 2009 but retired from service at the end of 2009.
awarded the Polaris Award
to the three pilots involved in this incident.
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
Boeing 747-438
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
, construction number 25067, registered in Australia as VH-OJK. QF30 was a scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
to Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
with a stopover in Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
on 25 July 2008. The flight was interrupted when an oxygen tank exploded causing a fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
rupture just forward of the starboard wing root. There were no injuries and the plane made an emergency descent to a breathable altitude of about 10,000 feet and eventually made an emergency landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
In-flight accident
Hong Kong Time
Hong Kong Time is the time in Hong Kong, observed at UTC+8 all year round. The Hong Kong Observatory is the official timekeeper of the Hong Kong Time.-Time standards:...
(0100 UTC). At 10:17 HKT (0217 UTC), passengers and crew heard a loud bang; the cabin de-pressurised and a hole in the floor of the passenger deck appeared, as well as a hole in the outside wall of the cargo deck. During the emergency, parts of the aircraft's floor and ceiling collapsed. Passengers reported that, despite the noise and the deployment of the oxygen masks, there was very little panic. The pilots conducted an emergency descent from 29,000 feet to ensure adequate oxygen supply for the passengers, reaching 10,000 feet by 02:24 UTC.
After the accident, numerous passengers said that some oxygen masks
Emergency oxygen system
Aircraft emergency oxygen systems are emergency equipment fitted to commercial aircraft, intended for use when the cabin pressurisation system has failed and the level of oxygen in the cabin atmosphere drops below a safe level...
did not deploy, whilst others had deteriorated elastic. Consequently, it was reported that one passenger smashed a panel of the ceiling to attempt to gain access to the masks. It was stated that these passengers were deprived of oxygen until the plane was lowered to a breathable altitude. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
interviewed passengers who reported problems with the oxygen masks as part of their investigation.
The hole in the fuselage — roughly in an inverted T-shape — was up to 2.01 m wide and approximately 1.52 m high, located on the right side of the fuselage, below cabin floor level and immediately forward of the wing. The wing-fuselage fairing was missing, revealing some palletised cargo in the hold, however the freight forwarder
Freight forwarder
A freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...
reported that all items on the manifest were accounted for. Other than some items which were located near the cylinder and resulting hole, no other cargo or baggage on the flight was damaged.
The airline, in a news release, said there were no reports of injuries. A few passengers reportedly displayed signs of nausea upon exiting the aircraft.
Investigation
The Australian Transport Safety BureauAustralian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
led the investigation, sending 4 investigators to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to conduct a detailed inspection of the aircraft, with Qantas, the USA's National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
, Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is the Australian national aviation authority , the government statutory authority responsible for the regulation of civil aviation.-History:...
and the Civil Aviation Authority
Air Transportation Office
The Philippines' Civil Aviation Authority formerly Air Transportation Office, abbreviated as CAAP, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Transportation and Communications responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air...
of the Philippines also involved.
Soon after the accident, the ATSB announced that air safety investigators found that an oxygen cylinder
Gas cylinder
A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel used to store gases at above atmospheric pressure. High pressure gas cylinders are also called bottles. Although they are sometimes colloquially called "tanks", this is technically incorrect, as a tank is a vessel used to store liquids at ambient pressure and...
which was located in the area of the explosion hadn't been accounted for, but that it was too early to say that an oxygen cylinder could be the cause of the mid-air explosion on QF30. Regardless, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority ordered Qantas to inspect all of its oxygen cylinders and brackets which hold the cylinders on its Boeing 747 fleet. The valve and mounting brackets were found, but not the bottle, number four of thirteen fitted in that bank. A senior investigator, Neville Blyth, reported that the cylinder valve was found inside the cabin, having punched a hole "at least twenty centimetres in diameter" through the cabin floor.
Blyth said that the flight recorder
Flight recorder
A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of an aircraft accident or incident. For this reason, flight recorders are required to be capable of surviving the conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft...
s were to be analysed in the Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
laboratories of the ATSB. However, because the plane had remained airborne and operational throughout the incident, the cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
does not contain records of the initial event itself; its two hour memory had been overwritten with recordings taking place after this event, during the diversion and landing. The twenty-four hour flight data recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
does contain data covering the entire incident.
On 29 August, the ATSB gave an update confirming further aspects of the initial investigation. They stated that these initial investigations had found that the aircraft took about five and a half minutes to descend from the decompression event at 29,000 feet to the altitude of 10,000 feet and that it appeared that part of an oxygen cylinder and its valve had entered the passenger cabin, then impacted with the number 2 right door handle, turning it part way. The ATSB noted that there was no risk of the door being opened by this movement, with the door systems performing as designed. All three of the aircraft's instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
s as well as the anti-skid braking system were unavailable for the landing; the pilots subsequently landed the aircraft without using those systems. Most of the oxygen masks deployed in the incident, with 426 out of the 476 deployed being activated by the 346 passengers, pulling them down to activate the flow of oxygen.
Preliminary findings
The cause of the accident has been determined to be an exploding oxygen tankOxygen tank
An oxygen tank is a storage vessel for oxygen, which is either held under pressure in gas cylinders or as liquid oxygen in a cryogenic storage tank.Oxygen tanks are used to store gas for:* industrial processes including the manufacture of steel and monel...
in the cargo area, according to a preliminary finding of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is Australia’s national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air, sea and rail travel. The Australian Transport Safety...
:
"After clearing the baggage and cargo from the forward aircraft hold, it was evident that one passenger oxygen cylinder (number-4 from a bank of seven cylinders along the right side of the cargo hold) had sustained a sudden failure and forceful discharge of its pressurised contents into the aircraft hold, rupturing the fuselage in the vicinity of the wing-fuselage leading edge fairing. The cylinder had been propelled upward by the force of the discharge, puncturing the cabin floor and entering the cabin adjacent to the second main cabin door. The cylinder had subsequently impacted the door frame, door handle and overhead panelling, before falling to the cabin floor and exiting the aircraft through the ruptured fuselage."
Other safety concerns
Oxygen masks that were deployed after the blast failed to function properly. Some passengers were forced to share a mask when the Qantas Boeing 747 ran into trouble, while others panicked when they failed to open. The FAA had recently issued airworthinessAirworthiness
Airworthiness is a term used to describe whether an aircraft has been certified as suitable for safe flight. Certification is initially conferred by a Certificate of Airworthiness from a National Airworthiness Authority, and is maintained by performing required maintenance actions by a licensed...
directives regarding problems with the masks on this and several other Boeing commercial aircraft models.
The ATSB issued two Safety Advisory Notices, advising responsible organisations to review procedures, equipment, techniques and personnel qualifications for maintenance, inspection and handling of aviation oxygen cylinders.
ATSB Final Report
The final report on this event was released on 22 November 2010...just over two years after the incident.From the summary released by the ATSB:
"On 25 July 2008, a Boeing Company 747-438 aircraft carrying 369 passengers and crew rapidly depressurised following the forceful rupture of one of the aircraft's emergency oxygen cylinders in the forward cargo hold. The aircraft was cruising at 29,000 ft and was 55 minutes into a flight between Hong Kong and Melbourne."
"Following an emergency descent to 10,000 ft, the flight crew diverted the aircraft to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines, where it landed safely. None of the passengers or crew sustained any physical injury."
"A team of investigators, led by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and including representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), Boeing and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) examined the aircraft on the ground in Manila. From that work, it was evident that the oxygen cylinder (number-4 in a bank along the right side of the forward cargo hold) had burst in such a way as to rupture the adjacent fuselage wall and be propelled upwards; puncturing the cabin floor and impacting the frame and handle of the R2 door and the overhead cabin panelling. No part of the cylinder (other than the valve assembly) was recovered and it was presumed lost from the aircraft during the depressurisation."
"The ATSB undertook a close and detailed study of the cylinder type, including a review of all possible failure scenarios and an engineering evaluation of other cylinders from the same production batch and of the type in general. It was evident that the cylinder had failed by bursting through, or around the base - allowing the release of pressurised contents to project it vertically upwards. While it was hypothesised that the cylinder may have contained a defect or flaw, or been damaged in a way that promoted failure, there was no evidence found to support such a finding. Nor was there any evidence found to suggest the cylinders from the subject production batch, or the type in general, were in any way predisposed to premature failure."
Repairs
Structural repairs of the aircraft were conducted in Manila by Boeing. It was ferried to AvalonAvalon Airport
Avalon Airport is the second busiest of the four airports serving Melbourne and is located in Avalon, Victoria, Australia, which is north-east of the city of Geelong and to the south-west of the state's capital city of Melbourne....
on 10 November 2008. The original captain and first officer were part of the ferry crew. The only work that remained to be done at that point was replacement of the carpets and seat covers. On 18 November 2008, with all work complete, the aircraft was damaged again when another Qantas Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
collided with it at Avalon.
The aircraft was eventually returned to service on 15 January 2009 but retired from service at the end of 2009.
Safety record
Qantas has never lost a jet plane to an accident. Qantas's safety record is impressive, having not had a fatal crash since the pre-jet 1950s.More recently, CASA's review of the Qantas maintenance system found that it had been falling short of Qantas' own benchmarks. At the time of that report, CASA was itself under scrutiny from an Australian Senate inquiry was specifically critical of CASA's response to the Qantas maintenance issues.IFALPA
In early 2010, IFALPA, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' AssociationsInternational Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations was created during a conference of pilots' associations held in London in April 1948 for the express purpose of providing a formal means for the airline pilots of the world to interact with the then newly formed UN body the...
awarded the Polaris Award
Polaris Award
The Polaris Award is the highest decoration associated with civil aviation, awarded by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations to airline crews in recognition for acts of exceptional airmanship, heroic action or a combination of these two attributes. In extraordinary cases,...
to the three pilots involved in this incident.