Jet lands with large hole in fuselage
Rapid descent from 29,000 feet over S. China Sea
MANILA - A hole the size of a small car in the underside of a Qantas jumbo jet carrying 346 passengers forced the pilot to make an emergency landing yesterday after a rapid descent over the South China Sea.
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There were no injuries, but some passengers vomited after disembarking, said Octavio Lina, the Manila International Airport Authority's deputy manager for operations.
An official at the US Transportation Security Administration, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the incident was not domestic, said initial reports show it was not related to terrorism.
"From the pictures coming in from Manila it's quite evident that a section of the fuselage gave way in flight," Chris Yates, a Jane's Aviation expert, said in a statement. "As a consequence of this the aircraft experienced rapid decompression. Fast action from the pilot and co-pilot ensured that all those aboard remained safe."
Investigators will now determine whether metal fatigue or a manufacturing defect caused the panel to be ripped away from the remainder of the fuselage in flight, Yates said.
The aircraft appeared to be missing a plate of its metal skin at the joint where the front of the right wing attaches to the plane. A curved line of rivets was still visible on the body at the front edge where the sheet once was; a straight line of rivets is along the other.
Flight QF 30, from London to Melbourne, had just made a stopover in Hong Kong.
"One hour into the flight there was a big bang, then the plane started going down," passenger Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told the Associated Press by phone from Manila's airport. "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."
She said the hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin.
June Kane of Melbourne described how parts of the plane's interior broke apart in the depressurized cabin.
"There was a terrific boom and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first [class] and the oxygen masks dropped down," she told Australia's ABC Radio. "It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm."
A report by the Manila International Airport Authority, quoting pilot John Francis Bartels, said the plane suffered an "explosive decompression." Australia's air-safety investigator said an initial investigation suggested "a section of the fuselage separated."
Lina said the cabin's floor gave way, exposing some of the cargo beneath and part of the ceiling collapsed.
"There is a big hole on the right side near the wing," he said, adding that it was 7.5 feet to 9 feet in diameter.
Bob Vandel, executive vice president of the independent, Virginia-based Flight Safety Foundation, said the hole caused the plane to lose pressure and oxygen, which required the pilot to start a quick, initial descent to normalize oxygen levels, said Vandel.
"The plane lost pressure, so the pilot had to get the aircraft down below 12,000 feet pretty quickly," said Vandel.
The video shot by a passenger showed people sitting with their oxygen masks on - just-served meals on their tray tables. The cabin crew continued to work, walking down the aisles and showing no sign of panic.
Geoff Dixon, the chief executive officer of Qantas, praised the pilots and the 19-person crew for how they handled the incident.
