Atterraggio di emergenza A330 in Australia, feriti

[Mach]

Ultimi aggiornamenti: sembra che l'aereo abbia avuto un malfunzionamento dell'autopilota, o cose simili.
Posto gli articoli:

Qantas autopilot blamed for jet plunge
A COMPUTER malfunction involving Qantas Flight 72's autopilot system has emerged as the likely cause of the passenger jet's plunge that left 20 people seriously injured.

As Qantas disclosed yesterday that more passengers and crew had been injured than first thought when the Airbus A330 dropped from 37,000 feet on Tuesday, investigators said an "irregularity" in the jet's computer system occurred at the time.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau safety investigations director, Julian Walsh, said QF72's pilots received electronic monitoring messages indicating there was a problem with the plane's elevator control system, the device that controls a plane's up-and-down movement.

Mr Walsh said that as the crew tried to act on the alerts, the aircraft climbed about 300 feet before "abruptly" pitching nose-down, sending passengers - particularly at the rear - slamming into the cabin's roof and walls.

"There was a period of time where the aircraft performed of its own accord," Mr Walsh said.

Qantas management has refused to comment on the cause of the incident, but a source within the airline told the Herald the plane's autopilot system was to blame.

The Australian and International Pilots Association president, Captain Ian Woods, said that, based on investigator's statements, a problem auto-flight control was "a likely explanation".

"When an auto-flight system exceeds its authority - goes beyond what it is designed to do - it sends a message to the pilots. The pilots acted exactly as they should have done in that situation."

Qantas and Airbus did not respond yesterday when asked who had responsibility for installing and maintaining the A330's flight control systems.

Mr Walsh said he was confident the flight data record - contained in the aircraft's instrument and cockpit voice recorders that were removed yesterday - would provide clearer answers.

News of the apparent computer malfunction came as Qantas revealed that 74 of the flight's 303 passengers and 10 crew were hurt in the fall - with 14 considered serious, 30 requiring hospital treatment and a further 30 treated for minor injuries.

A spokesman for Perth's Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital said two passengers remained in hospital yesterday.

Doctors said it was too early to determine the severity of the spinal injuries suffered by some of the passengers.

Jim Ford, of Perth, said he thought he was about to die as he watched people being thrown around the cabin.

"It was horrendous, absolutely gruesome, terrible, the worst experience of my life," he said.

Ben Cave, also of Perth, said for a few seconds he had feared for his life.

"We had a major fall and another fall shortly after. I hit the ceiling but I was OK; I only got a few bruises and strains. I just remember seeing that the plane was a mess."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/qanta ... 46448.html

Qantas warned of flaws in plane's computer

QANTAS was repeatedly warned about potential problems with elevation systems on an aircraft that plunged out of control, injuring 74 people.

Herald Sun can reveal Qantas and other airlines were warned in July 2004 and again in August last year about the potential for a serious malfunction aboard the A330-300 series aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority warned of potential problems with elevation controls, including concerns about potential break-down of hydraulic "O-ring" seals.

Airlines were told to do maintenance and pre-flight checks because of the problem, which could result in "elevator control loss" -- the issue at the centre of Tuesday's scare.

The hydraulic O-ring problems were also raised in January 2007, when European regulators warned they could cause a critical incident if the valve seals broke, which could, "in the extreme case, reduce the controllability of the aircraft, which is potentially critical".

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 62,00.html

Qualcuno potrebbe spiegare meglio il significato di questi articoli? Cosa sono gli elevators? E poi parlano di sistema idraulico, o-rings, allora il problema è meccanico o di software?

[N176CM]

Questo il comunicato ufficiale della compagnia:

Sydney, 08 October 2008
Qantas said today that the cause of the sudden change in altitude aboard QF72 from Singapore to Perth yesterday remained under investigation.

The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said Qantas was assisting the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in its formal investigation.

Mr Dixon said the aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders had been removed and would undergo assessment.

"As always we will cooperate fully with the ATSB, as well as conducting our own investigation into the incident.

"Our primary concern remains the welfare of our passengers and crew on board the flight, and we are focused on doing everything possible to assist them," Mr Dixon said.

He said that passenger and crew information available to date indicated that:

* injuries ranged from abrasions and contusions to fractures;

* the condition of 14 of those on board was considered serious, requiring medical evacuation to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, although none of the injuries was life threatening;

* up to 30 additional people required attendance at hospital in Perth;

* up to 30 further passengers and crew required first aid treatment for minor conditions;

* all passengers requiring travel to Perth had been accommodated on two special flights arranged by Qantas yesterday evening; and

* the majority of passengers on board was Australian (131), followed by British (53), Indian (40) and Singaporean (38).

"We are grateful for the assistance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Skywest who came to the assistance of our passengers and crew in this remote location.

"We would also like to acknowledge the offers of assistance that we received from CareFlight, Woodside Energy, the RAAF and others in the area."

Mr Dixon said information available on the flight at this stage included:

* the incident occurred 80 miles north of Learmonth, which is a joint user airforce base;

* the incident occurred at a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet;

* the aircraft climbed approximately 300 feet before the nose dropped momentarily; and

* the flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to Learmonth, which was the closest suitable diversion airfield.

He said the A330-300 aircraft remained in Learmonth where the ATSB and Qantas were conducting investigations and assessments.

Mr Dixon said Qantas would be contacting every person on board the flight to ensure
continued assistance was offered to all passengers and crew.

"We commend the professionalism of our crew, who ensured the aircraft landed safely in Learmonth."

[N176CM]

E questo il comunicato ufficiale dell'ATSB (sul loro sito è presente anche un mp3 con l'audio della confernza stampa):

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau was advised yesterday afternoon of an occurrence involving an Airbus A330-300 aircraft while on a flight from Singapore to Perth, operating as Qantas Flight 72. The aircraft, which had 303 passengers and 10 crew on board, was in normal level flight at 37,000 ft about 110 nautical miles north of Carnarvon and 80 nautical miles from Learmonth near Exmouth in north-western Australia, when the pilots received electronic centralised aircraft monitoring messages in the cockpit relating to some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system. The aircraft is reported to have departed level flight and climbed approximately 300 ft, during which time the crew had initiated non-normal checklist/response actions. The aircraft is then reported to have abruptly pitched nose-down. During this sudden and significant nose-down pitch, a number of passengers, cabin crew and loose objects were thrown about the aircraft cabin, primarily in the rear of the aircraft, resulting in a range of injuries to some cabin crew and passengers.

The crew made a PAN PAN emergency broadcast to air traffic control, advising that they had experienced flight control computer problems and that some people had been injured, and they requested a clearance to divert to and track direct to Learmonth. A few minutes later the crew declared a MAYDAY and advised ATC of multiple injures including broken bones and lacerations. The aircraft landed at about 1530 local time, about 40 minutes after the start of the event.

The ATSB understand that there were 14 people with serious but not life threatening injuries, which included concussion and broken bones who were taken by air ambulance to Perth. In addition, up to 30 other people attended hospital with possible concussion, minor lacerations and fractures, with up to a further 30 or so people with minor bruises and stiff necks etc who did not need to attend hospital. However, these casualty figures are subject to further clarification and confirmation. All passengers have been now been transported to Perth. Given the nature of injuries, the occurrence is defined as an accident in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization definition.

The ATSB has initiated a safety investigation and two investigators from the ATSB's Perth office travelled to Learmonth yesterday evening and commenced initial on-site investigation activities, which included securing the aircraft's Flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders. A further five ATSB investigators are due to arrive in Learmonth early this afternoon Western Australia time

An officer from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority with a type rating on the A330 has joined the ATSB team. In addition, the Bureau Enquetes-Accidents, or BEA of France, the French counterpart of the ATSB has assigned an accredited representative as the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft, to provide assistance to the ATSB investigation. An investigator who is a flight control specialist from the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, is currently travelling to Australia and will also assist the investigation team.

It is obviously very early in the investigation and too soon to draw any conclusions as to the specific cause of this accident. The ATSB investigation will explore all aspects of the operation of the aircraft, including through detailed examination of the Flight Data and Cockpit Voce recordings, aircraft systems and maintenance history, Air Traffic Control radar and audio recordings, and weather conditions. The ATSB will also be conducting a range of interviews with the pilots and cabin crew, and will also speak with passengers to examine the cabin safety aspects.

It is always difficult to predict how long an investigation such as this will take. While it is likely to take some number of months, the ATSB will release a Preliminary Factual report within about 30 days. Furthermore, should any critical safety issues emerge that require urgent attention, the ATSB will immediately bring such issues to the attention of the relevant authorities who are best placed to take prompt action to address those issues.


Without pre-empting any findings in relation to cabin safety issues and the wearing of seatbelts, this accident serves as a reminder to all people who travel by air of the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened at all times when seated in an aircraft.

[Mach]

Ora qualcuno ipotizza che la perdita di quota possa essere stata causata da interferenze col computer di bordo provocate da un notebook o da un mouse wireless che stava usando un passeggero:

Did laptop cause Qantas plane plunge?
AIR safety investigators say it is too early to blame passenger lap-top computers for causing a Qantas jet to abruptly nose dive on a flight from Singapore to Perth.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has said an “irregularity” in one of the plane's computers may have caused the dramatic altitude change which hurled passengers around the cabin.

Laptops could have interfered with the plane's on-board computer system, it has been reported.

But the bureau says it's too early to make that judgment.

A passenger clicking a wireless mouse mid-flight recently sent a Qantas jumbo jet off course on a three-degree bank, an ATSB report revealed.

"Certainly in our discussions with passengers that is exactly the sort of question we will be asking – 'Were you using a computer?'," an Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesman said yesterday.

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder had only just arrived at the ATSB's Canberra headquarters and were yet to be analysed.

Director of aviation safety investigation Julian Walsh said: "We don't know, and we don't fully understand the dynamics of this event.

"Certainly there was a period of time where the aircraft performed of its own accord."

A passenger described how the smooth flight suddenly turned into a nightmare around 1pm when he heard a loud bang.

"All of a sudden there was a big bang – boom – and I found myself up in the ceiling for one to two seconds and then I fell down," said grandfather Yip How Wong.

"I fell down on the walkway a few rows from my seat. I couldn't get up."

Up to 40 passengers and crew were injured when the plane was cruising at 37,000 feet about 177km north of Carnarvon.

The injured, including about 20 suffering serious spinal injuries, broken bones or lacerations, were taken to hospital after the pilot sent out a mayday distress call then made an emergency landing at an old military strip at Learmonth about 40km from Exmouth.

SES volunteer Jackie Tapper, 30, was one of the first to start treating the injured passengers on the aircraft.

"Inside the plane it was like a tornado had gone off," she said.

"On the ceiling where people had hit their heads there was chunks of hair still there. There were a lot of people bleeding so we had to bandage them."

[alessandrogentili]

Incorrect flight data led Qantas A330 to descend sharply: ATSB

A Qantas Airways Airbus A330 that descended suddenly appears to have received faulty data from one of its units and this then played havoc with the aircraft's flight control system.

"At this stage of the investigation, the analysis of the available data indicates that the air data inertial reference unit (ADIRU) 1 abnormal behaviour is the likely origin of the event," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says in a statement today, referring to an incident that occurred on 7 October while the Qantas A330 was enroute from Singapore to Perth.

"The faulty ADIRU unit continued to feed erroneous and spike values, for various aircraft parameters, to the aircraft's flight control primary computers."

This "led to several consequences including: false stall and over-speed warnings, loss of altitude information on the captain's primary flight display and several centralised aircraft monitoring system warnings."

Because the ADIRU 1 generated very high, random and incorrect angles of attack it meant that "the flight control computers commanded a nose-down aircraft movement, which resulted in the aircraft pitching down to a maximum of 8.5 degrees."

It also "triggered a flight control primary computer pitch fault".

The ATSB says the crew responded in a timely fashion and helped prevent the aircraft's rapid descent from being even greater.

In its preliminary review released on 9 October the ATSB says the A330 descended about 650ft in about 20s, before returning to the cruising level of 37,000ft.

Then about 70s later the A330 descended about 400ft in about 16s before returning to the cruising level. In both instances the aircraft was pitched nose-down.

Of the 303 passengers and 10 crew on board 14 people were seriously injured, an additional group of up to 30 had serious enough injuries to receive medical treatment in hospital and up to a further 30 required first aid treatment, says the ATSB.

The Qantas pilots responded by making an emergency landing at Learmonth, a remote airport in northwest Western Australia and from there the passengers were put on other aircraft and flown to Perth.

In today's statement the ATSB says Airbus a few moments ago issued an operators information telex providing information about the incident along with recommendations to A330 and Airbus A340 operators that have aircraft fitted with the same type of ADIRU as on the Qantas aircraft.

The recommendations include "guidance and checklists for crew response in the event of an inertial reference system failure".

ATSB says it will issue a preliminary factual report within 30 days of the incident.

ADIRUs provide data with regards to the aircraft's air speed, altitude, position and altitude.

http://www.flightglobal.com/home/default.aspx

[FAS]

Computer fault blamed for QF72 Qantas nose dive
Item by australianaviation.com.au at 12:57 pm, Monday December 19 2011


The ATSB has concluded that a rare computer fault led to the October 2008 uncommanded nose dive of Qantas A330 VH-QPA, seen here a month before the incident. More than 100 passengers were injured, some seriously.
A rare computer fault caused the sudden nose dive of a Qantas flight in 2008 that injured 119 people, an investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has concluded.

The incident occurred on board Airbus A330-303 VH-QPA operating QF72 that departed Singapore for Perth on October 7 2008. While cruising at 37,000ft, one of the aircraft’s three air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) began outputting spikes of incorrect values including erroneous angle of attack data. Minutes later, primary flight computers initiated a pair of dramatic, uncommanded dives.

Though lasting only a few seconds, the dives hurled unrestrained passengers against the ceiling and overhead bins, injuring 110 of 303 passengers and nine of 12 crew members. After regaining control of the aircraft, pilots declared a MAYDAY and made an emergency landing at Learmonth Airport, where the flight was met by the Royal Flying Doctors Service and CareFlight. Fourteen people were airlifted to Perth for hospitalisation.

The ATSB investigation found that the computer algorithm for processing angle of attack data, while generally effective, was unable to manage multiple spikes in the data over a short span.

“The occurrence was the only known example where this design limitation led to a pitch-down command in over 28 million flight hours on A330/A340 aircraft, and the aircraft manufacturer subsequently redesigned the angle of attack algorithm to prevent this type of accident from occurring again,” the report said.

However, the investigation did not determine what led the ADIRU to spit out the incorrect data in the first place, concluding only that the spikes were likely initiated by a “rare type of internal or external trigger event.”

Speculation has long centred on interference from nearby Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt as a possible culprit, especially after a second Qantas flight suffered an ADIRU malfunction in the same area in December 2008. However, the ATSB investigation concluded that the station’s very low frequency radio transmissions were “unlikely” to have played a role “based on multiple sources of information.”

Not surprisingly, the investigation concluded that passengers who were not wearing their seat belts were substantially more likely to have been injured in the incident than those who were. At least 60 passengers were seated without their seat belts on when the first pitch-down occurred.

The investigation found that younger passengers were less likely than older passengers to have been wearing their seat belts, with 38 per cent of those between the ages of 18-30 strapped in compared to 65 per cent of passengers aged 46-60 and 69 per cent of those 60 and older. Asian passengers were also less likely to have been wearing their seat belt than those from Australia and Europe, the report found.

“The report is a timely reminder for passengers to fasten their seatbelts during flight,” the ATSB said in a statement.

[N176CM]

Oltre agli aspetti tecnici su cui lascio la parola agli esperti, viene nuovamente dimostrata l'importanza di rimanere cinturati durante tutto il volo. Proprio l'altra sera in volo abbiamo beccato una bella botta di CAT che ha fatto cadere l'A/V, senza danni per fortuna, e in quel momento ho proprio pensato a questo incidente QF.

[JT8D]

Aggiungo l'articolo pubblicato ieri da avherald:

http://avherald.com/h?article=412a7663/0001&opt=0

Da qui potete scaricare il final report:

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/inv ... 8-070.aspx


Paolo