QF flt cancelled due flap damage

[damien b]

This just in from news.com.au

A NEW Zealand-bound Qantas flight had to be aborted minutes before takeoff when wing damage was discovered by an engineer at Sydney airport today.

The Christchurch-bound Qantas 747-300 was taxiing towards the runway at 9.15am (AEST) when an engineer noticed damage to its right wing flap.

The engineer notified the pilot, who aborted the flight.

Qantas said all 213 passengers on the plane have been given accommodation and meal vouchers, and booked on another flight tomorrow.

The damage was being assessed, a spokeswoman for the airline said.



Any idea how this one happened? Guessing a ground vehicle has come into contact with the flaps at some stage.

[PaulL]

I posted a link about this under the final flight of the 747-300 but here the link to some pics again

http://www.theaussieaviator.net/showthread.php?t=23721

[damien b]

Didn't see that in the other thread :o

A bit of damage to the leading edge slats from what the photos show. I'm guessing ground equipment has hit it at some stage.

[Tom PER]

How did the crew miss that one on the walk-around??

[Anthony J]

How did the crew miss that one the walk-around??
The flaps are not extended during the walk around. This damage would have occured as the leading edge flaps were deployed after engine start.

[Peter JB]

Didn't see that in the other thread :o

A bit of damage to the leading edge slats from what the photos show. I'm guessing ground equipment has hit it at some stage.

A bit of damage?? WTF - that is major! 2 things - either the pilot did NOT do his walk around or some idiot has smashed into it afterwards and kept going! Qantas has serious problems - you can't deny that.

Is this a joke or something? This cannot be happening here surely.

This has me worried enough not to travel with QANTAS with all that has been happening lately.

[Arthur Boy]

Stay calms folks, lets not start to sound like media here and lets get the facts first.........Personally i would be mortified if the LE was like this at the gate.

So, assuming there were some professionals doing thier jobs while the A/C was at the gate, how could this have occurred?

Please, offer more serious, views from those with greater engineering knowledge, but I proffer the following:

1. Something hit it while under its own steam (highly unlikely not to have been noticed....);
OR
2. As previously suggested, (and IMHO, likely) mechanical failure during deployment.

Either way, another embarrassing engineering failure at the rat.

Question, WHO at QF really cares? The B743 is basically at the end of its life, put her down gently while there is a modicom of respect left.

[Adam G]

A bit of damage?? WTF - that is major! 2 things - either the pilot did NOT do his walk around or some idiot has smashed into it afterwards and kept going! Qantas has serious problems - you can't deny that.

Is this a joke or something? This cannot be happening here surely.

This has me worried enough not to travel with QANTAS with all that has been happening lately.

Actually you should feel very safe because the systems worked - it was picked up before dispatch. As for your "2 things" comment - the future will probably prove both of them to be incorrect.

[Nick W.]

almost looks like on the LHS the flap jammed, and on the RHS it did its job properly, and hence just kinda tore it through the middle?

[AdamC]

Is was a simple thing that wasn't picked up on a walk around but was picked up by maintenance crew. This happens everyday in aircraft flying whether it be GA to airlines to defence.

My five cents worth.

Cheers

Adam

[Peter JB]

Actually you should feel very safe because the systems worked - it was picked up before dispatch.

And if it didn't for some reason? what then?

[Nigel C]

Which one, and how many do QF still have going?

[PaulL]

A bit of damage?? WTF - that is major! 2 things - either the pilot did NOT do his walk around or some idiot has smashed into it afterwards and kept going! Qantas has serious problems - you can't deny that.

Is this a joke or something? This cannot be happening here surely.

This has me worried enough not to travel with QANTAS with all that has been happening lately.

I have only one thing to say GET A LIFE or better still GET A BRAIN

If only you worked in the industry you would not be opening your mouth and dribbling **** this happens to other airlines and not just Qantas. Accidents do happen trust me, I know.

Yes I work in the industry and will not say what doing but lets just say I know a lot about the flying side of things.

That's all I have to say on this topic

[damien b]

A bit of damage?? WTF - that is major! 2 things - either the pilot did NOT do his walk around or some idiot has smashed into it afterwards and kept going! Qantas has serious problems - you can't deny that.

Is this a joke or something? This cannot be happening here surely.

This has me worried enough not to travel with QANTAS with all that has been happening lately.

Nah nothing major - enough to stop a flight but easily fixed. Major damage is like what you saw with the Oxygen cylinder incident.

This stuff happens all the time as many have said on this and other posts in this forum. Humans work on aircraft - hence problems/accidents occur. Its a simple fact of life.

This may be as Nick W has suggested a simple mechanical malfunction on deployment of the slats. Not much you can do to prevent these things from occuring.

I only put the article up out of interest in what happened, not having a go at Qantas - i am flying with them in a few weeks.

[Nigel C]

And if it didn't for some reason? what then?

What if you get out of bed and fall over and can't post here again? What then?

Could have, would have, should have...................:rolleyes:

[Anthony J]

I snapped this shot at Haneda of an ANA 744D landing with a broken leading edge flap.
http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/8/1/4/77644_1164095418_tb.jpg
(http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5858773)
I can't believe how ANAs standards have dropped. I'll never fly ANA!
Actually the are quite highly stressed fibreglass components, it's no wonder they give out every now and again.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Another Qantas Incident Today

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .VH-OGF
Message label: 86 Block id: Msg. no: 5007
Flight id: QF0544
Message content:-
/BNE.
ARI
BNE ETAB 08:40
WH/CH 00 UN/MNR 00
REAR GALLEY OVEN DOOR NEEDS FIXING.
-------------------------------------[23/11/2008 18:50]

[David Ramsay]

It would appear that the flap problem was only part of the story ..

More than 200 disgruntled Qantas passengers have landed in Christchurch after three attempts to take off from Sydney.

A plane bound for Christchurch was cancelled just before take-off yesterday, because of problems with one of its wings. Its passengers were put up in a hotel last night.

One of those passengers, Christchurch man Peter White, says before that their first plane was grounded because of fuel tank problems and this morning there was another delay. He is not happy with the airline, or the hotel they were put up in where he says the food was cold.

Full story here (http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=93118)

[AdamC]

It's funny how the travelling public have no idea that, yes sometimes problems occur and there's not a lot that the staff can do about it. They just make do with what they have.

[Jamie D]

Another Qantas Incident Today

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .VH-OGF
Message label: 86 Block id: Msg. no: 5007
Flight id: QF0544
Message content:-
/BNE.
ARI
BNE ETAB 08:40
WH/CH 00 UN/MNR 00
REAR GALLEY OVEN DOOR NEEDS FIXING.
-------------------------------------[23/11/2008 18:50]


i hope this plane wasnt used on the christchurch run at all other wise disgruntled passenger peter woulda copped another cold meal

[Kurt A]

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[Krzysztof M]

Not sure if that's the aircraft in question, but as I was waiting for my flight at the international terminal I saw the -300 VH-EBW push back and started taxi, only to see her back at the gate shortly after when we were taxying out for our 16R departure. But it was about 2-3pm, not sure if related??

[Brenden S]

It appears to be one of the linkages broke and either the kruger flap retraced or didn't extend. Its a cast linkage, and it could have happened to any airline or any 747.

AJ if I remember correctly the VCF's (ANA 744) there are also linkages that are there to, and they are attached by nuts and bolts, which could have sheared off thus explaining why it is partly broken, and when retracted they are hidden away in the wing so no one would have seen it until a A check when the flaps are deployed and inspected.