Comments on: How far down, how quickly and why? http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2008/10/08/how-far-down-how-quickly-and-why/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:39:47 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Ben Sandilands http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2008/10/08/how-far-down-how-quickly-and-why/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Ben Sandilands Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:24:25 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/?p=71#comment-6 Chris, The A330 have proven outstandingly successful and robust in service for more than a decade, and the Qantas examples are comparatively new and incorporate many incremental improvements. However as the more recent news from the ATSB at the top of the blog indicates, there was a control crisis and a very steep descent. The aircraft will not return to passenger service until it is checked for any structural damage, particularly to the elevators. I think we are getting a clearer picture of a very urgent landing. I'm guessing that like pilots of any type of aircraft, the Qantas crew would have been especially sensitive to any possibility of elevator damage, which is of critical importance to controlling the jet. A precondition for a Mayday call is concern about structural integrity. Chris,

The A330 have proven outstandingly successful and robust in service for more than a decade, and the Qantas examples are comparatively new and incorporate many incremental improvements.

However as the more recent news from the ATSB at the top of the blog indicates, there was a control crisis and a very steep descent. The aircraft will not return to passenger service until it is checked for any structural damage, particularly to the elevators. I think we are getting a clearer picture of a very urgent landing. I’m guessing that like pilots of any type of aircraft, the Qantas crew would have been especially sensitive to any possibility of elevator damage, which is of critical importance to controlling the jet. A precondition for a Mayday call is concern about structural integrity.

]]> By: Chris Brown http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2008/10/08/how-far-down-how-quickly-and-why/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Chris Brown Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:04:30 +0000 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/?p=71#comment-5 I don't have any aviation training, but it wouldn't surprise me that the Mayday was simply a procedural one - That is, it was issued to allow them to rapidly land at an airport that is only available as an emergency alternate in order to get medical assistance for the passengers. This would have been complicated by the fact it was an international flight and hence needed customs assistance. I really doubt there's anything (mechanically) wrong with the aircraft and the landing was purely to offload the injured as rapidly as possible. I don’t have any aviation training, but it wouldn’t surprise me that the Mayday was simply a procedural one – That is, it was issued to allow them to rapidly land at an airport that is only available as an emergency alternate in order to get medical assistance for the passengers. This would have been complicated by the fact it was an international flight and hence needed customs assistance.

I really doubt there’s anything (mechanically) wrong with the aircraft and the landing was purely to offload the injured as rapidly as possible.

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