Oxygen cylinder 'may have exploded' on Qantas jet
Australian investigators were exploring the possibility today that an oxygen cylinder could have exploded mid-flight on the Qantas jumbo jet from London that was forced to plunge 20,000 feet and make an emergency landing in the Philippines.
The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet on Friday with 346 passengers aboard when it was shaken by what passengers described as an explosion. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as the plane descended rapidly and debris flew through the cabin from a hole that suddenly appeared in the floor.
The plane, en route to Melbourne, Australia, managed to land safely minutes later at the Manila airport. There were no injuries.
Four specialists from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau inspected the aircraft yesterday and were continue through the weekend. Boeing and the US National Transportation Safety Board were also sending specialists to assist.
The possibility of an explosion was one of several scenarios being considered by investigators, said Julian Walsh of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
“There are oxygen cylinders contained in the cargo compartment, but the relevance of that will certainly be covered in the investigation,” he told reporters.
An official with the US Transportation Security Administration said initial reports indicated no link to terrorism.
Meanwhile, some passengers told Australian media that their oxygen masks failed to work properly during the crisis, leading some to nearly pass out.
Other passengers, while applauding the pilot and crew’s performance, told of having to share oxygen masks between three people because of faulty or broken emergency equipment.
“Ours didn’t come down, and my husband just about (passed out) because he didn’t have any oxygen for about three minutes,” Beverley Doors told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.
Passenger David Saunders said one man in front of him smashed the ceiling panel in order to force his mask to come down, and that children were screaming and flailing.
“Their cheeks and lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen,” he said.
Boeing spokeswoman Liz Verdier said the design of the Qantas jet included dozens of oxygen tanks located throughout the lower part of the aircraft, including below the passenger compartment where the hole was.
Qantas chief executive Officer Geoff Dixon said he was “horrified” after seeing pictures of the aircraft’s gaping hole. He said it was too early to speculate on what caused the damage.
Passengers on Flight QF 30 had just been served a meal after a stopover in Hong Kong when they heard a loud bang, then their ears popped as air rushed out of the 9ft hole in the aircraft’s side.
Peter Gibson, spokesman for Australia’s Safety Authority, dismissed speculation that rust contributed to the accident.
“It’s clearly an extremely rare and unusual event that a hole opens up in the fuselage,” he said. “I know there’s a number of theories around, but they’re just that at this stage, they’re just theories. We don’t have the solid facts.”
Qantas boasts a strong safety record and has never lost a jet to an accident. The last crash of a smaller airline plane was in 1951.
