PERTH, Australia - Up to 40 passengers and crew were
injured, some suffering broken bones and cuts, when a Qantas
jetliner suddenly changed altitude on Tuesday, Australian police
and the airline said.
The Airbus A330-300 made an emergency landing at an airfield near
the Western Australian town of Exmouth after making a mayday call
when the mid-air drama struck during a flight from Singapore to
Perth.
It is unclear yet if there are any Singaporeans on board the Qantas
flight.
"A number of passengers and crew sustained injuries, including
fractures and lacerations, on board QF72 this afternoon en route
from Singapore to Perth following a sudden change in altitude," the
Australian flag carrier said.
Emergency services and medical staff were on standby at the
Learmonth air base, which lies about 1,100 kilometres (680 miles)
northeast of the state capital of Perth, said Sergeant Greg Lambert
of the West Australian Police.
"It is understood up to 40 people were injured during a mid-air
incident," he said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said early reports
indicated that around 30 passengers and crew had been hurt, 15 of
them sustaining serious injuries, including broken bones and
lacerations.
"While cruising in level flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden
in-flight upset, resulting in injuries to a number of cabin crew
and passengers, primarily in the rear of the aircraft," the bureau
said in a statement.
"The crew declared a mayday and diverted the aircraft to Learmonth
... where it landed without further incident," it said, adding that
it was launching an immediate investigation.
Qantas could not confirm the number of injured or whether the
aircraft dropped or rose suddenly in altitude.
An emergency services worker said paramedics had boarded the Qantas
aircraft and were tending to the injured after it touched down at
around 1:35 pm (0535 GMT).
Emergency vehicles and ambulances surrounded the aircraft after it
came to a halt, eyewitnesses said.
A statement from Qantas said the A330-300 aircraft landed in
Learmonth at 1.45pm (local time) and had been due to land in Perth
at 2.10pm (local time).
It added that those with inquiries about passengers should call
Qantas in Australia on 1800 062 241.
The Qantas statement also said the airlines is sending two
aircraft, a B767 and a B717 to Learmonth from Perth to collect
passengers and crew. The aircraft are due to arrive back in Perth
at 7.50pm and 8:35pm local time.
Qantas, which has long boasted a reputation of being one of the
world's safest airlines, has suffered a spate of incidents in
recent months that have tarnished its safety record.
In July, an exploding oxygen bottle punched a huge hole in the side
of a Qantas Boeing 747-400, forcing an emergency landing in the
Philippines. No passengers were injured in the mid-air drama.
The hole was ripped in the fuselage of the plane, which was
carrying 365 people, as it cruised at 29,000 feet (8,800 metres) en
route from Hong Kong to Australia.
Australian air safety investigators in August announced a safety
review of Qantas after two other incidents occurred involving its
aircraft within two weeks.
On July 28, a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a
landing gear door failed to retract. In early August a Boeing 767
bound for Manila turned back to Sydney after developing a hydraulic
fluid leak.
But the aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(CASA), said that despite the review there was no evidence to
suggest any links between three mid-air emergencies on Qantas
flights.
- AFP /ls