Qantas 744 makes emergency landing

[David O.]

"A window in the business class section popped mid-air," said the passenger, who did not want to give his name.
The passenger said the plane landed safely in Adelaide where it was met on the tarmac by a full suite of emergency service vehicles, but that no one had been injured.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...07-662,00.html

Qantas doesn't seem to be having the best of luck with their planes recently.

[Michael Morrison]

I thought it was one of the 747-300's not a 744???

[Brenden S]

VH-EBW a Boeing 747-338EUD is the aircraft in Question.

[Sarah C]

Was there "terror in the sky?".

As much as I love the classics, the A380 delays is really working them into well beyond thier retirement.

[Ryan Hothersall]

747-338 VH-EBY landed about 8 pm Adelaide time to pick up the passengers from the diverted QF580 flight.

VH-EBW was towed away and parked by the old domestic terminal.

[Robert Zweck]

It was QF 580 PER-SYD, arrived in Adelaide around 1600.

[Mark Grima]

A popped/cracked window sounds serious, but I would imagine that both the inner and outer windiws would be designed to withstand the forces/pressure on their own in the event of damage to the other?

Did the pilots really need to land this plane? I'm not saying they shouldn't have, if I was on board I'd be wanting to be on the ground quicksmart.

Cheers

M

[Adam P.]

..."I can't see out..."

[Brenden S]

On the pax windows you have 2 panes of window ie window, gap, window. On the inner window you have a hole there for pressurization, so if the outer window lets go your still going to have the inner window holding the px, however with the hole there will be some air escaping, and as per the flight ops manual it says to land at the nearest suitable airport.

[Brenden S]

Here are some pics that I got from the 744 maint manual, the 743 are the same.