Qantas Flight 30

Qantas Flight 30, on 25 July 2008, a Boeing 747-438 operated by Qantas, construction number 25067, registration VH-OJK, was a scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Melbourne with a stopover in Hong Kong. The flight was interrupted on the Hong Kong leg by an exploding oxygen tank that ruptured the fuselage just forward of the starboard wing root.[5] 53-year-old Captain John Bartels (who had flown for Qantas for 25 years and the Royal Australian Navy for 7 years) and his co-pilots, Bernd Werninghaus and Paul Tabac, made an emergency descent to a breathable altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,048 m) and diverted to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Metro Manila, Philippines. There were no injuries.

Qantas Flight 30
Damage sustained by the 747
Accident
Date25 July 2008 (2008-07-25)
SummaryIn-flight explosion leading to structural damage[1]
Rapid decompression[2]
SiteSouth China Sea west of Luzon, Philippines
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 747-438
Aircraft nameCity of Newcastle[3]
OperatorQantas
RegistrationVH-OJK[4]
Flight originLondon Heathrow Airport
StopoverHong Kong International Airport
DestinationMelbourne Airport
Occupants365
Passengers346
Crew19
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Survivors365

In-flight accident
VH-OJK, the aircraft involved, in December 2007

The flight left Hong Kong on 25 July 2008 shortly after 9:00 am HKT (0100 UTC).[6] At 10:17 HKT (0217 UTC), passengers and crew heard a loud bang; the cabin depressurised and a hole in the floor of the passenger deck appeared, as well as a hole in the outside wall of the cargo deck.[7] During the emergency, parts of the aircraft's floor and ceiling collapsed.[8] Passengers reported that, despite the noise and the deployment of the oxygen masks, there was very little panic.[9] The pilots conducted an emergency descent from 29,000 feet (8,839 m) to ensure adequate oxygen supply for the passengers, reaching 10,000 feet (3,048 m) by 10:24 HKT (02:24 UTC).[7][10]

After the accident, four passengers said that their oxygen masks did not deploy, whilst others had deteriorated elastic.[11][12]: 53  It was stated that these passengers were deprived of oxygen until the plane had descended to a breathable altitude. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau interviewed passengers who reported problems with the oxygen masks as part of their investigation.[2]

The hole in the fuselage – roughly in an inverted T-shape – was up to 2.01 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide and approximately 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in) 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.[7]

There were no injuries.[12]: 3 [13] A few passengers reportedly displayed signs of nausea upon exiting the aircraft.[14]

Investigation

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) led the investigation, sending four investigators to Manila to conduct a detailed inspection of the aircraft, with Qantas, the US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Philippines Civil Aviation Authority also involved.[2][8][15][16][17]

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 had not 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.[2][18][19] The valve and mounting brackets were found, but not the bottle, number four of thirteen fitted in that bank.[20] 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.[21]

Blyth said that the flight recorders were to be analysed in the Canberra laboratories of the ATSB.[22] 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.[23][24][25]

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 systems 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.[26]

Preliminary findings

The cause of the accident was an exploding oxygen tank in the cargo area, according to a preliminary finding by the ATSB:[27]

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

Some oxygen masks that were deployed after the blast failed to function properly. Some passengers were forced to share a mask when the plane depressurised, while others panicked when some masks failed to deploy.[11] The FAA had recently issued airworthiness directives regarding problems with the masks on this and several other Boeing commercial aircraft models.[28]

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.[29][30]

ATSB final report

Just over two years after the incident, the final report of the event was released on 22 November 2010.[12]

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

Repairs to the aircraft were conducted in Manila by Boeing. It was ferried to Avalon 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.[31]

The aircraft was eventually returned to service on 15 January 2009 but retired from service at the end of 2009 and sold to Nigerian carrier Max Air in 2011, re-registered as 5N-HMB. The aircraft was then operated for a further six years before being stored at Pinal Airpark.[32]

Qantas still uses the flight number 30, as a non-stop Hong Kong-Melbourne route, dropping its London origin.[33]

IFALPA

In early 2010, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations awarded the Polaris Award to Captain John Bartels and his flight crew.

References
  1. Lucas, Clay; Cooper, Mex; Smith, Bridie; Burgess, Matthew & Agencies (26 July 2008). "'It was absolutely terrifying'". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  2. "Qantas Boeing 747-400 depressurisation and diversion to Manila on 25 July 2008" (Press release). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
  3. Jackson, Anthony (6 March 2008). "VH-OJK (CN:25067) Qantas Boeing 747-438". Jetphotos.net. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  4. "CASA Aircraft Register (VH-OJK)". Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
  5. Skehan, Craig (29 July 2008). "Valve in oxygen cylinder the culprit in 747 explosion". The Age. Melbourne.
  6. "Hole forces Qantas plane to land". BBC News. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  7. "Depressurisation, 475 km north-west of Manila, Philippines, Boeing Company 747-438, VH-OJK" (PDF). Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2008-053 Preliminary. Australian Transport Safety Bureau. August 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  8. "Qantas flight makes emergency landing in Manila". AAP via news.com.au. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  9. Staff Writer (25 July 2008). "Irishman on faulty fuselage jet". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  10. "Qantas plane dives 20,000 feet after hole ripped mid-air in fuselage". Associated Press via Fox News. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  11. "Oxygen masks faulted on Australian jet". AsiaOne. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  12. "Oxygen cylinder failure and depressurisation 475 km north-west of Manila, Philippines 25 July 2008 Boeing Company 747-438, VH-OJK" (PDF). Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2008-053 Final. Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 22 November 2010. AO-2008-053. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  13. "Qantas flight diverts to Manila" (Press release). Qantas. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  14. "Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage". USA Today. Associated Press. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  15. "Boeing 747 diversion to Manila" (Press release). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  16. "NTSB sends team to Philippines to join Qantas 747 investigation". Washington, DC: National Transportation Safety Board. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  17. "Investigation into Boeing 747-400 depressurisation and diversion to Manila, Philippines" (Press release). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  18. "Qantas jet probe focuses on exploding oxygen cylinder". Agence France Press. 27 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  19. "Qantas to inspect oxygen bottles after 747 emergency". Reuters. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
  20. Creedy, Steve (29 July 2008). "Jet's oxygen bottle parts found". The Australian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  21. Skehan, Craig (29 July 2008). "Valve in oxygen cylinder the culprit in 747 explosion". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  22. "Investigators find metal fragments in stricken Qantas plane". Agence France Press (via Channel News Asia). 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  23. "'Tank exploded' on Qantas jet". BBC News. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  24. Skehan, Craig; Bibby, Paul (30 July 2008). "Qantas inflight recorder taped over". Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  25. Skehan, Craig (30 July 2008). "Pilots' reaction to explosion missing from tape". Melbourne: The Age.
  26. "Depressurisation, 475 km north-west of Manila, Philippines, 25 July 2008, Boeing Company 747-438, VH-OJK" (Press release). Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  27. Depressurisation – VH-OJK, Boeing 747-438, 475 km north-west of Manila Airport, Philippines 25 July 2008. 29 August 2008. ISBN 978-1-921490-65-1. Retrieved 29 August 2008. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  28. "Airworthiness directives". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  29. AO-2008-053-SAN-006 Archived 19 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine ATSB, 29 August 2008
  30. AO-2008-053-SAN-007 Archived 23 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine ATSB, 29 August 2008
  31. Ham, Larissa (18 November 2008). "Qantas jets collide at airport". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  32. "5N-HMB Max Air Boeing 747-438". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  33. "Qantas 30". flightaware.com. FlightAware. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

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