DISQUS

unrepentant_expat · 1 year ago

Not really what I wanted to read right now as my wife is high over the Pacific on her way home from Asia.

OlderAndWiser · 1 year ago

They couldn't pay me to get on a plane these days. If you think foreign airlines are any better than those in the US, think again. I'm sure all of them are sacrificing maintenance because of fuel costs, even while raising rates and cutting "extras" for customers.

Dave of the Jungle · 1 year ago

I hate Qantas.

Chimpeach · 1 year ago

oh great. I'm booked on a Qantas flight from LA to Brisbane Aug. 1st. gah

randysmith · 1 year ago

First off, I have no more information than has been in the media. But I fly far too often and have been on flights that suffered "pressure difficulties".

From the pictures on the Web, it appears that the cargo door popped off and ripped some of the fuselage when it went. While not exactly what I'd call uneventful, I would suggest that Boeing airplanes aren't going to fall if a door pops. There have been too numerous episodes of just that!

Modern jets -- especially those from Boeing [and this was a 747] -- are build really, really solid. They can fly well enough with fuselage holes and shutdown engines. [Would Richard Reid's shoebomb actually have brought down the airliner? I don't know. But unless he blew out a main control line channel -- not too many of those in the fuselage near seats -- probably not!]
While I'm sure it was unpleasant on board, I suggest that the passengers were in no real mortal danger.

I would also suggest that the problem is that the plane/door was NOT inspected by the PILOTS after it was closed. They were, after all, upfront running the checklist for pushback. The plane may even have been late for that and getting out to "walk around" would likely have irritated some passengers. Wouldn't want that now!

Some -- shall we suggest minimally paid and even less well trained -- Chinese ground/baggage handler probably didn't close it correctly. Should we suggest that he may never even have seen a 747 before.

I'm afraid I can't quite trust a country which explicitly states as a matter of policy that they will always be the lowest cost. And I'm sure Quantas contracted with the lowest cost ground handling operation in HongKong. I'm also sure that the governmental oversight isn't exactly what we would see in JFK or Sydney.

jr · 1 year ago

flying has no appeal to me with this, pilots being told to save fuel costs and the stasi at the airport

tommytoonz · 1 year ago

Here's a pic: http://you.presscue.com/node/1221
I assume this is the actual plane, but not positive.

Forty2 · 1 year ago

randysmith: there's no door at that location. the fairing from fuselage to wing blew off but it looks like the rupture was first out of the main skin onto the fairing. metal fatigue or... a little bomb? yeesh.

hopelesspedant · 1 year ago

Qantas in its entire history (if I remember correctly) has ever had an accident-related fatality, which means they must be doing something right.