Qantas engine explodes mid-air

[Gumleaf]

10:00 AEST Wed Sep 1 2010
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7954137/qantas-engine-explodes-mid-air


Dramatic mobile phone footage taken onboard a Qantas jet shows sparks flying past cabin windows moments after the pilot announced an engine had blown up.

Qantas Flight 74, carrying 212 passengers, left San Francisco at 11.05pm on Monday local time (4.04pm Tuesday AEST) and was headed for Sydney when the engine malfunctioned.

"I heard a thud, a bump and the plane veered off to the left," passenger Nolan Goldstein told KTVU-TV.

"It was very uncertain for a period of time until the captain announced that we had an engine that blew up ... it was a real uncomfortable vibration at first and then the plane began to shake a bit."

Photographs show a gaping hole in the engine while video aired on TODAY shows a stream of sparks flying past windows.

Qantas spokesman Simon Rushton said the sparks were caused by an engine surge but he insisted there was no fire.

The pilots flew two wide circles over the Pacific to decrease the weight of the plane before turning back to San Francisco for an emergency landing, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

San Francisco airport duty manager Carol Spear said the plane landed safely at 12.45am Tuesday local time (5.45pm AEST) and there were no injuries.

She said Qantas put the passengers up in local hotels for the night and would make arrangements for them to leave for Sydney today.

She did not know if passengers were able to walk off the plane or had to use chutes.

It is not clear yet what caused the engine problems.

[Amnesiac]

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Good on the pilots, they did their jobs perfectly.

Imagine if that had happened further into the flight, it would be terrible.

[Cloud]

Wow, that's pretty amazing. Good on the pilots, they did their jobs perfectly.

Imagine if that had happened further into the flight, it would be terrible.

theyd have had an emergency landing at another airport
as longs as a planes still got most of its basic flight equiptment, like power, and steering and wheels then it can land pretty safely with competent pilots.

the people are lucky the the explosion didnt damage the wing. that wouldve been catastrophic.

and you gotta love Qantus flying them right back out the next day

[Sith Lord 13]

theyd have had an emergency landing at another airport

Ummm, they were flying over the Pacific Ocean, right? Not too many airports around.

[Amnesiac]

Ummm, they were flying over the Pacific Ocean, right? Not too many airports around.

Yeah, flying over the Pacific is discomforting. Knowing that, if you crash, there's nothing but water for hundreds or even thousands of miles just makes the entire flight a little more stressful.

[Cloud]

Ummm, they were flying over the Pacific Ocean, right? Not too many airports around.

if they managed to circle twice to dump the fuel
they couldve manged to fly and or even glide to somewhere they could land

[Amnesiac]

if they managed to circle twice to dump the fuel
they couldve manged to fly and or even glide to somewhere they could land

I doubt you could glide thousands of miles :P

[Kahn]

I doubt you could glide thousands of miles :P

Give me the god damn Bat Glider.

[Amnesiac]

Give me the god damn Bat Glider.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/CraginS/Kite_Festival_2007/Batman_w_BatKite.jpg

[Scarface]

I think I'll reply to be on topic :P

Qantas has always had amazing planes and not many accidents in the past unlike carriers such as US.Airways and such. Though I think they did a pretty good job handling the situation. It could have ended a helluva lot worse.

[Amnesiac]

I think I'll reply to be on topic :P

Qantas has always had amazing planes and not many accidents in the past unlike carriers such as US.Airways and such. Though I think they did a pretty good job handling the situation. It could have ended a helluva lot worse.

Yeah, I have respect for Qantas, and not because I'm Australian. I think they're a great airline, a bit expensive, but still very good.

[Scarface]

Yeah, I have respect for Qantas, and not because I'm Australian. I think they're a great airline, a bit expensive, but still very good.

I mean if you look at history of other airlines INB4 Airbus comes along, Qantas is by far the best out there. You're right, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for as they say :P

[Amnesiac]

I mean if you look at history of other airlines INB4 Airbus comes along, Qantas is by far the best out there. You're right, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for as they say :P

Yeah, their service is really what you'd expect for the price. Especially their airline food, it's great.

[Scarface]

Yeah, their service is really what you'd expect for the price. Especially their airline food, it's great.

Well I don't know from personal experience lol as I'm no where near AUS or going there, but just from researching and seeing on TV looks like they have things well on spot.

[Amnesiac]

Well I don't know from personal experience lol as I'm no where near AUS or going there, but just from researching and seeing on TV looks like they have things well on spot.

Well I've flown on Qantas plenty of times, mostly on trans-Australia and trans-Pacific flights, and it's always a great experience, they really do have high standards.