Editorials

QANTAS' ANNUS HORRIBILIS

26/02/11 15:52 Filed in: Air Safety | Aviation
Celebrating Its 90th Year …

Qantas A380 engine suffers catastrophic failure returns safely to land in Singapore.

Qantas B747 suffered engine failure after takeoff, and returned safely to land in Singapore. The flight contained many passengers and the crew from the QF32 incident the previous day. They would have to be the first people in history to suffer engine failures on takeoff in successive flights.

Qantas B747 suffers hydraulic problem arriving in London Heathrow

Qantas B767 engine suffers vibration returns safely to land in Perth

Qantas B747 ‘smoke in cockpit’ returns safely to land in Sydney (15th Nov 2010)

Qantas / Jetstar A320 hydraulic failure returns safely to land in Brisbane (16th Nov 2010)

Qantas B747 engine suffers damage after bird-strike returns safely to land in Jo’burg (17th Nov)

First ‘non-Qantas’ news for a fortnight ... Virgin Blue aircraft ‘smell in cockpit’ returns safely to land in Melbourne (19th Nov 2010)

Qantas B747 engine suffers ‘a problem’ while QF1 was taxying towards a runway in Sydney (28th Nov)

Qantas B747 engine ‘cooks itself’ while taxying towards a runway in Sydney (16th Jan)

Qantas B737 performs emergency descent after depressurisation ADL-MEL (25th Jan)

Qantas B747 engine ‘consumes more fuel than normal’ return to land at Bangkok (25th Jan)


Congratulations must go to all the crews, who despite the bad publicity for the brand during their 90th birthday celebrations, stick to the procedure and perform inflight and on ground returns —thereby adding to the media speculation.

We must never castigate pilots for taking the safest option, even when it ruins passengers’ travel plans; the old adage still applies:

“What’s worse than be stuck on the ground when you should be in the air?”

“... being stuck in the air when you should be on the ground.”


The Captain must always put their aircraft, passengers and crew ahead of company concerns, and 'are always right'.


Whilst fellow pilots may question them for some of their decision-making, I believe that they have to do whatever they have to do to feel comfortable in times of crisis. Each of us has our own way of problem-solving.

They were there, and we were not. And they did what they thought was right at the time. That all incidents ended safely is all that matters.

Being under the media magnifying glass is hell, as all Ansett Airlines refugees will attest. If passengers start leaving the airline in droves, the Flying Kangaroo may well bounce into oblivion.

Let's hope they don't.




January 26th., 2011

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