Seven hurt when Qantas flight hurts turbulence

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Seven hurt when Qantas flight hurts turbulence | The Courier-Mail

DEVELOPING: SIX passengers and a crew member aboard a Qantas flight from Hong Kong have been hurt after the Airbus A330 hit severe turbulence.

The plane was over Borneo on a flight from Hong Kong to Perth when it encountered turbulence.

Qantas said it was understood six passengers and one crew member sustained minor injuries and are being treated on board.
 
But Qantas said there was no reason to link the latest incident to other recent inflight incidents involving A330 aircraft.

There is a (tenuous) link to the Air France crash (it was more than an "incident") insofar as it appears to have happened whilst transiting the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.
 
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If it hadnt been QF or an A330 would this have been "news"?
 
Some overhead panel damage again - so i'm guessing someone or something hit the roof.

I'm sitting in the PER QP and the media helicopters were flying over the aircraft and the fire services was next to it, so i'm guessing there will be a lot more of it on the news tonight.

In my opinion - Since it continued from overhead Asia to Perth rather than diverting (and SIN would have been a good QF location to put it down) then it probably isn't that newsworthy.
 
I'm surprised that nonews hasn't opened up the comments section to allow the QF bashers to have another go...
 
Would it surprise anyone here to learn that none of the 7 injured were wearing seatbelts?

Just reported on ABC News.
 
No, but the question is then, where they sitting down, or walking around. I don't know about the flying habbits of others, but unless the flight is very short (ie under 2 hours) I usually get up and walk around at least once a flight. 7 people can easy include the FA's, pax stretching their legs \ going to the toilet etc...
 
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No, but the question is then, where they sitting down, or walking around. I don't know about the flying habbits of others, but unless the flight is very short (ie under 2 hours) I usually get up and walk around at least once a flight. 7 people can easy include the FA's, pax stretching their legs \ going to the toilet etc...
The original post in this thread quotes a media report stating six passengers and one crew member. Its quite possible that six passengers were going to, using, or returning from the lavatory at the time.

At least it would appear the injuries are not critical as they decided to continue to PER.
 
I'll have to remember never to walk around when flying through the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.
That's the best time to go to the toilet. As you cross the equator you can watch the water draining out of the basin change from rotating clockwise to anti-clockwise (or vv) :confused::confused::lol:
 
That would require fairly precise timing that my bladder does not work on...
 
Oh good, nonews has enabled comments, get ready for the uninformed drivel...
 
Why, oh why didn't the "air pocket" show up on the weather radar?!? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
QANTAS A330 Turbulence

post on PPRUNE that a QF A330 dropped out of the sky over Borneo injuring several passengers.
Passengers were thrown around the cabin of a Qantas flight after severe turbulence forced the plane to plummet mid-air, injuring seven.


QF68 was flying over Borneo in Malaysia, about four hours after leaving Hong Kong, when it "encountered severe turbulence", Qantas said in a statement.

The plane touched down at Perth International Airport this morning, and soon after shaken passengers emerged into the arrivals hall.

One man suffered a cut to his head during the incident - on the Airbus A330 plane from Hong Kong - which is understood to have lasted between 10 to 20 seconds.

Six passengers and one crew member were injured and they were treated by paramedics once the plane arrived.

The crew member was said to have fallen on their shoulder.

"It was probably one of the worst turbulences I've ever (been in)," said Chris Rose, who was returning home with his wife Kerry.

"There were people flying around and bits of pieces flying around, and some people hit their heads.

"It was total free-fall. No question, it's the worst I've ever been in.

"There was lightning everywhere ... obviously we were right in the middle of a storm or thunder but it was pretty severe.

"I was really frightened. It wasn't a laughing matter as there was a number of people who got injured."

Mr Rose added he was "pretty happy to be back in one piece".

A bleary-eyed Damien Whitehead admitted he was a "little nervous" when the plane flew into a "severe air pocket".

He said the Airbus fell a "reasonable distance".

"We dropped enough for a lot of people who didn't have seatbelts on to hit the roof of the plane," he said.

"It was quite sudden ... there was slight bumping and the plane just dropped."

Mr Whitehead said passengers were told the radar was not functioning "so the plane didn't see (the air pocket) and went straight into it".

He thought it lasted about 10-20 seconds and reported seeing people with minor head injuries being treated on board.

Lorraine McKay said the mid-air drop was "quite violent" and caused her heart to jump, but the flight was quite smooth for the rest of the flight.

"I can't remember whether it went down or up first," she said. "It was alright if you had a seatbelt. There was one chap who got a cut to his head but he was walking.

"Everybody was really quite calm (but) if you weren't strapped in you would have (flown about)."

Maureen Thomson said she had gone to sleep during the flight without a seatbelt on and she hit the ceiling. She had no injuries.

She also saw a little girl sitting nearby who did an "absolute somersault".

"It was so quick, people were more startled than anything else," Mrs Thomson said.

Ad Feedback Another traveller who was flying with her two children said the turbulence occurred two hours into the flight.

"The kids were asleep, I was sort of dozing and all of a sudden, the plane started to go up and down," she said.

"We were all strapped in. The kids were good, they slept through it but there was one guy who had a cut on his head and blood on his shirt."

Jet went into 'total free-fall': passenger | Stuff.co.nz



Guess you just have to keep asking, why the he*l passengers can't put a bloody seat belt on and LEAVE IT ON!!!!

I've been in 3 similar incidents and whilst being a little worried once, I have been amazed at the looks on passengers faces when they are on the ceiling of the aircraft and looking down at their seats!

The only people I have sympathy for in the severe turbulence area are flight crew who have to move around to sort out passengers.

I saw one FA in Tassie a very long time ago break an arm and a shoulder in very bad turbulence between Launceston and Hobart. Several passengers were injured and we were met by a number of ambulances at hobart airport. I ended up wearing my meal, but that was all.

I know it sounds callous, but what does it take for people to learn that seat belts save lives!!!!!

i will now get off my soapbox.
 
Why, oh why didn't the "air pocket" show up on the weather radar?!?

Clearly because Qantas is inept, hires hopeless pilots, flies unsafe aircraft that they maintain in sweatshops in China (not safe as houses Australia) and for some reason continues to fly the deathtrap A330's.

I think that's all.

Whatever happens anywhere, anytime its QF's fault, why bother discussing it.

:rolleyes::D
 
Re: QANTAS A330 Turbulence

post on PPRUNE that a QF A330 dropped out of the sky over Borneo injuring several passengers.
Passengers were thrown around the cabin of a Qantas flight after severe turbulence forced the plane to plummet mid-air, injuring seven.

Alarmist much?
 
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