QF1 from SIN diversion to Baku, Azerbaijan (GYD)

[kangarooflyer88]

For those who don't have a subscription to the Australian, here's a couple of "public" news outlets covering the story:

Qantas plane en route to London makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

Flight QF1 landed safely at Baku airport and was met by emergency services on the runway

www.theguardian.com

“Our flight from Singapore to London has made an unscheduled landing at Baku Airport in Azerbaijan after pilots received an intermittent fault indicator in the coughpit,” a Qantas spokeswoman said.

 

[jb747]

So basically, everyone waits until an engineer, perhaps some parts, and a spare crew is flown from LHR? Would Qantas need to charter a jet for this? I've heard of this happening in other diversions but not sure their practice.

Quite probably more than "an engineer". Crew will probably be the least of the issues, because by the time the aircraft is ready to go, any hours problems with be long gone. If they fired the cargo fire bottles, they will have to be replaced before the aircraft can go anywhere. At a guess, the aircraft will be there for a while. They'll be working right now on finding ways to get the passengers out. How easy is it to charter a jet these days...probably not like the GoDs.

It really all depends upon what the aircraft saw, what the system has latched, and what the crew did in response. All things we don't know.

 

[exLXCXFF]

A few pictures from on the ground, seems like a lot of emergency services made it out there:
Qantas Airways plane makes emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport (PHOTO)

 

[jb747]

SMOKE DETECTION
The smoke detection system has:
- Smoke detectors in the forward and aft/bulk cargo compartments.

These detectors are in cavities within the ceiling panels. Each cargo compartment cavity has two detectors, and one extinguisher nozzle. There are:
• Four cavities in the forward cargo compartment
• Five cavities in the aft/bulk cargo compartment, one of which is in the bulk cargo compartment.
- A Smoke Detection Function (SDF) that monitors the information received from the detectors of L1 a given compartment. The SDF provides information to the ECAM to generate applicable smoke warnings, or detector fault cautions.
When smoke is detected in a cargo compartment, the associated SMOKE warning triggers. If smoke is detected in the bulk cargo compartment, the ventilation automatically stops.
Therefore:
- The isolation valves close
- The extraction fan stops.

DETECTION LOGIC
Cargo Compartments - Smoke Detection

- The SMOKE DET FAULT caution triggers for the applicable compartment, when:
• One detector fails, or
• Only one detector detects smoke.

- The SMOKE warning triggers for the applicable compartment, when:
• One detector fails, and the other detects smoke, or
• Both detectors detect smoke.




Procedure

LAND ASAP

● If smoke is detected in AFT/BULK :
AFT ISOL VALVES................................................................................................................... OFF
BULK ISOL VALVES ................................................................................................................ OFF

● If smoke is detected in FWD :
FWD ISOL VALVES ................................................................................................................. OFF

■ When all engines are shut down :
● IF FWD (AFT+BULK) CRG CLOSED :
AGENT TO FWD (AFT)................................................................................................... DISCH
If the SMOKE warning is displayed on ground with cargo compartment door open, do not initiate AGENT TO FWD (AFT) ... DISCH. Request that ground crew investigates and eliminates the smoke source. This warning may be due to humidity high level or insecticide spraying: In this case, when the warning disappears, the flight crew can perform a VCS 1 and 2 reset to enable cargo ventilation. For more information on this reset, Refer to PRO-SUP-24-21-20 Ventilation Control System (VCS) 1(2) Reset.

■ When at least one engine running :
AGENT TO FWD (AFT) ........................................................................................................ DISCH
CAB FANS ..................................................................................................................................... OFF

The flight crew should switch off the cabin fans to avoid smoke propagation.

● If smoke is detected in AFT/BULK :
BULK CARGO HEATER........................................................................................................... OFF
SIGNS..............................................................................................................................................ON CKPT / CABIN COM..........................................................................................................ESTABLISH
BEFORE CARGO OPENING : PAX DISEMBARK
Note: Order the ground crew not to open the door of the affected cargo compartment unless the passengers have disembarked and fire services are present.


LIMITATIONS ON ECAM
ALL PHASES
LAND ASAP

LIMITATIONS ON PFD
ALL PHASES
LAND ASAP

Status
INOP SYS
ALL PHASES
ALL CAB FANS
FWD CRG VENT (1)
FWD CRG TEMP REGUL (1)

(1) If forward compartment is affected
BULK CRG VENT (2)
BULK CRG HEATER (2)
AFT CRG VENT (2)
(2)
If aft/bulk compartment is affected


BEFORE CARGO OPENING : PAX DISEMBARK

 

[TheInsider]

I wonder what is going to happen.
Will they continue on to LHR or cancel it and somehow rebook 400 odd people.

All crew would surely be out of hours now.

Already published an approx 12hr delay on the QF2.

 

[Melburnian1]

I wonder what is going to happen.
Will they continue on to LHR or cancel it and somehow rebook 400 odd people.

All crew would surely be out of hours now.

Already published an approx 12hr delay on the QF2.

It's suggested as a far longer delay for QF1 (and hence QF2) than 12 hours. Have a gander.

 

[wenglock.mok]

I wonder what is going to happen.
Will they continue on to LHR or cancel it and somehow rebook 400 odd people.

All crew would surely be out of hours now.

Already published an approx 12hr delay on the QF2.

I suspect the current plan is for QF1 arriving into LHR on 24 Dec (operated by -OQB) to be turned around to operate the delayed QF2 (from 23 Dec), which is why they have posted that 12 hour delay. They are probably assuming at this stage that -OQH will not continue its journey into LHR anytime today.

Until -OQH goes back into the normal rotation (or they swing a spare on), this may possibly become a recurring theme though, with QF2 being delayed overnight everyday till the next morning's QF1 arrives.

 

[AIRwin]

Until -OQH goes back into the normal rotation (or they swing a spare on), this may possibly become a recurring theme though, with QF2 being delayed overnight everyday till the next morning's QF1 arrives.

I'm booked on QF2 on New Year's Day, so I may get more lounge time in SIN if the delay continues until then...

 

[nancypants]

You can't just use any 380 ground engineer...so it probably doesn't matter if there is one there or not. Do a search for SQ diversions to Baku. Being allowed off the aircraft/terminal is an issue in itself. Trabzon might have been much more interesting, or perhaps even Tbilsi.

We were looking at the map- I assume Tbilisi is too short a runway (3000m), Istanbul seems more logical although slightly further away and of course you don't f*ck around with smoke

 

[kangarooflyer88]

We were looking at the map- I assume Tbilisi is too short a runway (3000m), Istanbul seems more logical although slightly further away and of course you don't f*ck around with smoke

Yeah, generally when there is smoke there is usually something FAR worse which that tends to take aircraft down. I'm reminded of SwissAir 111 which had an onboard fire and was mucking about instead of taking a direct approach to the nearest airport. And since the maximum landing weight is always greater than or at least equal to the maximum takeoff weight (particularly in emergencies like this) things like fuel dumps don't matter either!

I wonder what is going to happen.
Will they continue on to LHR or cancel it and somehow rebook 400 odd people.

All crew would surely be out of hours now.

Already published an approx 12hr delay on the QF2.

How does "transiting" work for these passengers? I'm guessing countries in general don't care about things like citizenship or visas when an emergency like this is declared? Would be interesting to see how they are accommodated given QF (and OneWorld for that matter) doesn't have any presence in this part of the world.

It's suggested as a far longer delay for QF1 (and hence QF2) than 12 hours. Have a gander.

I highly doubt they would divert to Gander given the distances involved there!

 

[TheInsider]

It's suggested as a far longer delay for QF1 (and hence QF2) than 12 hours. Have a gander.

I stand by what I said for the moment.

 

[exLXCXFF]

Looks like pax disembarked and is at the terminal.

A Qantas flight taking passengers from Sydney to London has made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan | A Qantas flight taking passengers from Sydney to London for Christmas has had to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan. Qantas flight QF1 was ten

1,414 views, 20 likes, 0 loves, 4 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7NEWS Sydney: A Qantas flight taking passengers from Sydney to London for Christmas has had to make an emergency...

fb.watch

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I stand by what I said for the moment.

View attachment 312404

Whoever is on that flight must be might happy since they'll be receiving UK261 compensation!

 

[TheInsider]

How does "transiting" work for these passengers? I'm guessing countries in general don't care about things like citizenship or visas when an emergency like this is declared? Would be interesting to see how they are accommodated given QF (and OneWorld for that matter) doesn't have any presence in this part of the world.

Qantas do have agreements with some random airports and ground handlers across the world for these kind of situations (in terms of airport access and ground handling). In terms of it ever being in action and how it pans out, I really have no idea for immigration.

Post automatically merged: Dec 23, 2022

Whoever is on that flight must be might happy since they'll be receiving UK261 compensation!

Exceptional circumstances?!

 

[Saab34]

Exceptional circumstances?!

Alan will find a way to make sure passengers get as little as possible.

 

[transpactraveller]

How does "transiting" work for these passengers? I'm guessing countries in general don't care about things like citizenship or visas when an emergency like this is declared? Would be interesting to see how they are accommodated given QF (and OneWorld for that matter) doesn't have any presence in this part of the world.

I don't know the entry rules for Azerbaijan, but many years ago on a diversion into mainland China due to weather at HKG, we were stuck on the ground there for 8 hours and not permitted to disembark the aircraft.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I don't know the entry rules for Azerbaijan, but many years ago on a diversion into mainland China due to weather at HKG, we were stuck on the ground there for 8 hours and not permitted to disembark the aircraft.

Could be worse, could've been Goose Bay!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/united-179-goose-bay-1.4985858

 

[clifford]

I highly doubt they would divert to Gander given the distances involved there!

But perhaps Yerevan (EVN) would have been more suitable. Has 3850x56m runway and "is capable of accepting Airbus 380...".

Looks like it was nearer to EVN, but maybe a political thing? Russia vs Islamic dictator? Or don't these kind of things count?

 

[Melburnian1]

I don't know the entry rules for Azerbaijan, but many years ago on a diversion into mainland China due to weather at HKG, we were stuck on the ground there for 8 hours and not permitted to disembark the aircraft.

It hasn't always been plain (plane?) sailing obtaining entry through immigration:

Horrible vs professional: Contrasting accounts from passengers of diverted SIA flight from Paris to S'pore

The relief flight is scheduled to land in Singapore at 8:30am on Sep. 11.

mothership.sg

 

[ketsuzei]

Could be worse, could've been Goose Bay!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/united-179-goose-bay-1.4985858

You might need to work on your geography as well as your relevance.