Qantas tail strike at Sydney

Lance W · #1 2nd February 2010, 05:10 PM

Not really sure if this was a "drama"....

"A Qantas plane with 120 passengers on board had to abort its ascent and return to Sydney airport after a tail strike on take-off yesterday afternoon.

Flight QF453, a Boeing 767 bound for Melbourne, had taken off from Sydney at 5pm and was in its climbing phase when the captain told passengers over the PA system that that plane's tail may have struck the ground on take-off."

http://www.watoday.com.au/travel/tra...0202-na83.html

Tim Bowrey · #2 2nd February 2010, 05:31 PM

It was VH-ZXA yesterday and there was no real visable damage of the tail. There was a big scrape mark just south of the runway intersection. Climb out to 5,000ft then made its way back around to land 16R again with no real panic at all. Anyone hearing it on ATC would think it was normal:S

Nigel C · #3 2nd February 2010, 05:52 PM

I'd be amazed if a 10000mm lens would have seen the size of the scrape...

The scrape wasn't very big (certainly not compared to other scars still visible along the runway from previous strikes...) and it was actually on the runways intersection, not south of it.

If there was bits and pieces of aircraft laying on the runway then I'd expect some anxiety, otherwise there's not much to get all worked up about.

NickN · #4 2nd February 2010, 06:52 PM

The rear of the aircraft looks relatively unscathed.

Kinda unsual for a QF 767 to experience a tail strike they normally get off the ground like a rocket.

Tim Bowrey · #5 2nd February 2010, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel C

it was actually on the runways intersection, not south of it.

Nigel, I recorded the ATC and the Tower Controller clearly states "...there was a scrape mark just south of the crossing runway" and there was 131 p.o.b. as the according to ATC.

Nigel C · #6 2nd February 2010, 07:16 PM

Tim, I should know, I was the one who found it.

Tim Bowrey · #7 2nd February 2010, 07:21 PM

Good on you, on ATC they said they found them just south, im sure you heard. Oh well.

Kurt A · #8 2nd February 2010, 07:21 PM

Don't worry Tim, Nigel will still buy you a beer this weekend, just because he's a nice bloke

Tim Bowrey · #9 2nd February 2010, 07:25 PM

Hahaha Im off to Singapore Airshow tomorrow, dodging Sydney heat haze for some humidity!

Nigel C · #10 2nd February 2010, 07:31 PM

I'm still waiting to meet and buy that beer for Tim, but every time we organise a DoG night he's never there!
One day!

Tim, I had a few frequency changes during the whole process (120.5 for the initial full length runway inspection, then 126.5 for the crossing back to A-1 for the arrival, then 120.5 for the arrival runway inspection, then 121.7 to follow the aircraft back to the bay on the domestic side), so there's every chance I missed plenty of what Tower said at any given time.

Slightly O/T, but there will be a DoG night organised for sometime in the next few weeks so the Sydney spotters (and any out-of-towners who can make it) can get together and tell tall porkies. I'll announce a date in the coming weeks. All will be welcome.