Qantas Plane Forced To Land In Bangkok

[webfact]

Qantas plane forced to land in Bangkok: official

BANGKOK, January 26, 2011 (AFP) - A Qantas Boeing 747 suffering mid-air mechanical trouble was forced to land in Bangkok, a Thai official said Wednesday, in the latest of a string of problems for the Australian airline.

The Sydney-bound flight developed difficulties on Tuesday evening soon after taking off from the Thai capital and returned just after 7:00 pm (1200 GMT), said Somchai Thean-Anant of Thailand's air traffic control.

"The Qantas flight detected a mechanical problem shortly after it took off from Suvarnabhumi airport and the pilot drained the plane's fuel before turning back," he said.

A Qantas spokeswoman in Bangkok said the aircraft was carrying 354 passengers and 18 crew.

She said the jet was in the air for around two hours, but was unable to give details of the problem that forced it to return to Bangkok.

"In the past 90 years passenger safety has been Qantas' highest priority," she told AFP.

The flight is now set to depart from Thailand early Thursday morning using another aircraft flown in from Sydney.

Also on Tuesday, a Qantas Boeing 737-400 carrying 99 passengers lost cabin pressure mid-flight en route from Adelaide to Melbourne, prompting the pilot to dive 8,000 metres (26,000 feet) and panicking passengers.

Qantas has endured a dramatic few months. In November it temporarily suspended flights of its Airbus A380 superjumbos after an engine on one exploded after taking off from Singapore, damaging the plane.

Last week a Qantas flight bound for New York made an unscheduled stop in Fiji after the Boeing 747 developed a problem with a fuel valve supplying one of its engines.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-26

[Basil B]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

[pdrhan]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

Naahh most of 747 fleet is equipped with PW engines...(Pratt & Witney)

[a51mas]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

Nah!!! since it was originated from Thailand, let's blame Thailand instead.

[gotlost]

Those bloody roos are still at it.

[Zpete]

I read where OZ unions were protesting about QANTAS farming out maintenance to Indonesia.

Anybody know if that is still the case?

Funny, I avoid Qantas, but still use Jetstar.

[animatic]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

Nah!!! since it was originated from Thailand, let's blame Thailand instead.

Easier sell than blaming it on a ladyboy forcefully demanding a hostess job.

[LTGTR]

" prompting the pilot to dive 8,000 metres (26,000 feet)".

I seriously doubt they dived 8k meters.Probably descended IMO.

[garyh]

" prompting the pilot to dive 8,000 metres (26,000 feet)".

I seriously doubt they dived 8k meters.Probably descended IMO.

Loss of cabin pressure means they have to, the passengers and crew be passing out otherwise.

[mrdjt]

I read where OZ unions were protesting about QANTAS farming out maintenance to Indonesia.

Anybody know if that is still the case?

Funny, I avoid Qantas, but still use Jetstar.

Yes, Pete, the Worlds Safest Airline is now just one of the rest.

Last tine I flew Quaintarse my seatmate was a total drunk and all the stewards did was give him more liquor BEFORE HE ASKED !

Then they lost my luggage in Shangahai.

iId rather fly Thai !

[Kernow86]

"The Qantas flight detected a mechanical problem shortly after it took off from Suvarnabhumi airport and the pilot drained the plane's fuel before turning back," he said

I wonder where all the fuel goes?

[keymaker]

Qantas was already forced to comply with an understanding act: in Sydney was "discovered" that some shift engineers whom are responsible to aircraft maintenance (and they get overtime pay!) had no the right "qualification" to do this very important task, yet they can save people's life!

Months ago a Qantas 1st. pilot blamed the employer for outsourcing air jets' maintenance to overseas, his aim was to alert media and consumers regarding the widespread risk for people's life because the outsourced facilities have no sufficient capabilities.

He was immediately SACKED!

I'm Australian and Qantas was a very very reliable and trustfully carrier and all Australians were proud of it.

Now the new CEO and following puppets still play on this role by taking advantage on people who still believe in this crap carrier.

I collected many points and I could spend on Qantas routes but I decided to just avoid Qantas, I take my life very seriously and I don't understand why people still fly on Qantas coffins.

I'm sure that if all Australians stop using Qantas, for sure Qantas (and Government) will do something to fix their problems.

[CDNinKS]

I wonder where all the fuel goes? Posted Image

In the ocean.......

Loss of cabin pressure means they have to, the passengers and crew be passing out otherwise.

Do you not pay attention to the safety briefing??? "in the event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the compartment over your head......."

Edited January 26, 2011 by CDNinKS

[cloudhopper]

" prompting the pilot to dive 8,000 metres (26,000 feet)".

I seriously doubt they dived 8k meters.Probably descended IMO.

They probably descended in a <deleted> serious nose down dive IMO. What you need to seriously doubt is the efficacy of those yellow dixie cups that drop in the back..

[oakweb]

Isn't this the Airline Rainman liked? I think the odds are against them now.

[transam]

I wonder where all the fuel goes? Posted Image

In the ocean.......

Loss of cabin pressure means they have to, the passengers and crew be passing out otherwise.

Do you not pay attention to the safety briefing??? "in the event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the compartment over your head......."

eeeer, nobody listens to them, there to busy on their mobile phones.

[backstairs]

Interesting topic. Despite the anti Qantas bashing their safety record is still peerless. I believe many airlines give their maintenance to others. Some because the other airline does it better. I spoke to a Swiss German who spent night shifts maintaining foreign airlines. It could just be bad luck for Qantas or perhaps they are more cautious. The 747 that turned back; would every airline do that? Safe flying to all.

[BKKBrit]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

Naahh most of 747 fleet is equipped with PW engines...(Pratt & Witney)

All of QF's B747 fleet are powered by Rolls Royce RB211s.

[CDNinKS]

What you need to seriously doubt is the efficacy of those yellow dixie cups that drop in the back..

Be assured the pilots have something a bit more substantial than a yellow dixie cup, and who really cares if the passengers and the hosties pass out as long as the pilots are awake.......you will wake up when the pilots DESCEND to 10,000 ft again.

[keymaker]

Interesting topic. Despite the anti Qantas bashing their safety record is still peerless. I believe many airlines give their maintenance to others. Some because the other airline does it better. I spoke to a Swiss German who spent night shifts maintaining foreign airlines. It could just be bad luck for Qantas or perhaps they are more cautious. The 747 that turned back; would every airline do that? Safe flying to all.

Lol are you serious? Do you work for Qantas?

Do you know in the last two years how many incidents have had Qantas? And now they're occurring more and more often!

Soon Qantas will realise that it's too late to keep customers and trust back, and "if" you work for them, you'll most probably be made "redundant" and have to find another job!

[dutch54]

Loss of cabin pressure means they have to, the passengers and crew be passing out otherwise.

Do you not pay attention to the safety briefing??? "in the event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the compartment over your head......."

Yes, but this only works for a limited time.

[CDNinKS]

Yes, but this only works for a limited time.

Refer to post above.....

[dude007]

Isn't this the Airline Rainman liked? I think the odds are against them now.

Qantas.. is't the list of nearby accidents becoming a little bit disturbingly long? Isn't there a light burning in the chief of maintenance's head?

Since I ever was bluntly downgraded from business to economy class, I never flew this company anymore and... I am still alive! They even tried to justify this downgrading... can you imagine? Just as if I was the problem for their overbooking!!! The same way as they are now explaining these technical problems that in their opinion are not a "problem" to the passengers. I'm glad I took the right decision: QANTAS = never anymore. I rather fly the katoey airlines in this case...

Edited January 26, 2011 by dude007

[lingyaiyai]

..... I don't understand why people still fly on Qantas coffins.

The fact that Qantas has not had a fatal accident since 16th July 1951 may be a contributory factor.

[dutch54]

What you need to seriously doubt is the efficacy of those yellow dixie cups that drop in the back..

Be assured the pilots have something a bit more substantial than a yellow dixie cup, and who really cares if the passengers and the hosties pass out as long as the pilots are awake.......you will wake up when the pilots DESCEND to 10,000 ft again.

A few years ago there has been a plane crash (in Greece) because not only the passengers but also the pilots

got unconscious.

[bkkjames]

Interesting topic. Despite the anti Qantas bashing their safety record is still peerless. I believe many airlines give their maintenance to others. Some because the other airline does it better. I spoke to a Swiss German who spent night shifts maintaining foreign airlines. It could just be bad luck for Qantas or perhaps they are more cautious. The 747 that turned back; would every airline do that? Safe flying to all.

Lol are you serious? Do you work for Qantas?

Do you know in the last two years how many incidents have had Qantas? And now they're occurring more and more often!

Soon Qantas will realise that it's too late to keep customers and trust back, and "if" you work for them, you'll most probably be made "redundant" and have to find another job!

Na mate, he works for AUSTRALIA

[Virgil]

Wounder if they will pin the blaim on Rolls Royce again

Naahh most of 747 fleet is equipped with PW engines...(Pratt & Witney)

All of QF's B747 fleet are powered by Rolls Royce RB211s.

That's right BKKBrit. Qantas has preferred RR since the days of the old 707 V-Jets. On the 747-400 aircraft I believe they are using the RR RB211-524G-T. However, they use GE Engines on their 747-400ER aircraft, of which they have 6 (VH-OEE to VH-OEJ) Here is the link to the Qantas 747-400 Longreach specs:

Qantas 747-400 Longreach and Qantas 747-400ER

This little piece is interesting too:

Qantas Loses Another Rolls Royce Engine

Cheers,

Virgil

Edited January 26, 2011 by Virgil

[CDNinKS]

A few years ago there has been a plane crash (in Greece) because not only the passengers but also the pilots

got unconscious.

That is correct, but in that accident and others, the crew did NOT don their masks at all.....

IF the crew recognizes a decompression AND dons their masks, they have ample time to make a controlled decent to a level where normal breathing is possible. They do call it an emergency decent, but that does not mean they dive the a/c at some ridiculous rate or angle......that is only in the movies.

[Stuart8]

Not quite sure how a 'mechanical problem' has become a pressurization failure but that is the way these threads go. If the cabin pressure exceeds 10,000 feet the passenger masks drop automatically. Pulling the mask to your face will activate the chemical oxygen generator which operates for about 13 minutes. The pilots have full face masks which they put on and immediately start an emergency descent down to 10,000 feet or lower depending on the minimum sector altitude, which is dependent on the height of the terrain. However there are a multitude of possible mechanical problems and this is only one of them.

[TimTang]

...I don't understand why people still fly on Qantas coffins...

That's sad to hear; Qantas had one of the best international reputations in the industry. I suppose like most airlines they're being forced to cut corners just to survive. We can thank our friends from the "Religion of Peace" for that.