Report: Qantas pilots saved A380 from disaster
The expertise and coolness of Qantas flight crew under pressure almost certainty averted a major disaster in a Sydney-bound A380 last month.
The preliminary report from Australian Transport Safety Bureau blamed a faulty oil pipe in the engine for an explosion on the Qantas A380 that forced the plane back to Singapore.
On board the aircraft when it took off from Changi Airport were five flight crew, 24 cabin crew and 440 passengers.
The Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine exploded inflight over Indonesia.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Martin Dolan told reporters if it had not been for the actions of the crew, the flight would not have returned safely to Singapore.
He said the incident was the result of “an uncontained engine failure”, which saw a loose disc shear through the left wing and other parts of the aircraft, “resulting in significant structural and systems damage to the aircraftâ€.
Dolan said it was not absolutely certain the pipe was the cause of the problem but said the flaw in the pipe’s manufacturing was “significant enough it needs to be dealt with”.
In a statement, Qantas said, “The report has confirmed the seriousness of the incident and that, in spite of damage to some systems and components, the pilots retained control of the aircraft at all times and were able to land safely.”
Two A380s have returned to service with Qantas voluntarily applying a range of conditions that include not operating the aircraft across the Pacific until further operational experience has been gathered.
Meanwhile Qantas has won the right to sue Rolls-Royce in Australia for compensation.
The airline was successful in its Federal Court action yesterday, where it filed a statement of claim to preserve its right to sue Rolls-Royce under Australia’s Trade Practices Act, heading off any bid by the engine maker to shift the matter to British courts if settlement talks break down.
Ian Jarrett
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