Qantas flight QF30, a Boeing 747-438 (VH-OJK) from London via Hong Kong to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila (Philippines) today after a loud bang punched a hole in the plane’s fuselage at approximately 29000 feet, followed by a rapid decompression of the cabin. The crew were forced to conduct an emergency descent to 10000 feet and landed safely in Manila.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas said all 346 passengers and 19 crew disembarked normally and there were no reports of any injuries to passengers or crew. The flight crew had performed emergency procedures after oxygen masks were deployed.
The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have been notified of the incident and Qantas is sending its own engineers to Manila.
Raw video – Amateur video from inside Qantas QF30
Video by AP
Raw pictures by Reuters
Video by Reuters – Emergency landing for Qantas plane
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Further pictures: http://www.repubblica.it/2006/05/gallerie/esteri/aereo-manila/1.html
ATSB Report: http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2008/AAIR/aair200804689.aspx