Steering glitch extends Qantas bad run
A report in The Australian says that the Qantas maintenance nightmare continued yesterday with news that a hydraulic failure affected the steering of a Boeing 767 as it landed at Sydney airport.
The plane left a trail of hydraulic fluid on runway 25 that resulted in it being closed for almost 40 minutes while the spill was cleaned up.
A Qantas spokeswoman confirmed that the central hydraulic system on QF460 from Melbourne failed as it touched down at Sydney on Wednesday night.
She said this affected the nose-wheel steering, and pilots controlled the plane, with 227 passengers on board, using the rudder. “When it was motionless, it was actually towed to the bay,” she said, adding there were no injuries.
This is the second hydraulic leak involving a Qantas 767 in two weeks and comes after a Manila-bound plane dumped fuel and returned to Sydney after fluid began leaking from a spoiler.
It also comes as Qantas still has six Boeing 737-400s on the ground after discovering it failed to complete work ordered eight years ago and designed to stop an explosive decompression.
The airline grounded the planes on Tuesday after it discovered it had missed a step in carrying out modifications designed to stop cracking in the forward pressure bulkhead.
The airline’s safety reputation has been a hot topic since a mid-air explosion blew a hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747 near Manila, prompting an investigation into the airline’s maintenance by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
The explosion, blamed on an oxygen bottle, depressurised the plane and prompted a 20,000ft emergency descent.
However, the head of the airline pilots union last night played down the latest problem.
Australian and International Pilots Association president Ian Woods said the 767 was steerable both by a tiller and by the rudder pedals.
“The difference is the amount of control you can get when you use the tiller as distinct from using the rudder pedals,” he said.
“You can make much sharper turns.”
Captain Woods said losing the tiller control was a nuisance rather than a danger.
“This is what I would put in the context of yet another flat battery or flat tyre.”
“It’s not in the same context as the hole in the aeroplane or the grounding of the aircraft,” he said.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokeswoman said last night that the bureau was waiting for more information from Qantas before deciding whether it would investigate the failure.
A Report by The Mole from The Australian
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026