Holy Qantas, Batman!!

[TangoWhiskey]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25843853

You gotta see the pictures... could it have been a bomb in the cargo area?

MANILA, Philippines - A Qantas flight en route to Australia from London made an emergency stop in Manila on Friday after a loud bang punched a hole in the Boeing 747-400’s fuselage, officials and passengers said.

 

[KennyFlys]

The passengers will be given hotel accommodation while the aircraft is being repaired, said Alfonso Cusi, the airport’s general manager.

That's gonna be some hotel stay.

 

[Trapper John]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25843853

You gotta see the pictures... could it have been a bomb in the cargo area?

Scary...

A quick swabbing for explosive residue would answer the bomb question, I suppose.

But, haven't there been other 747s with fatigue failures? I seem to remember at least one (maybe more) Japanese-operated 747s that had problems.


Trapper John

 

[Trapper John]

That's gonna be some hotel stay.

"That's not going to buff out."


Trapper John

 

[nddons]

On the other hand, John, I think a little Bondo will do the trick.

 

[wanttaja]

Scary...

A quick swabbing for explosive residue would answer the bomb question, I suppose.

Not only that, but explosives would have burned. No ash or scorch marks on that white fuselage.

Scary...
But, haven't there been other 747s with fatigue failures? I seem to remember at least one (maybe more) Japanese-operated 747s that had problems.

I remember a few years back when a baggage door tore from another 747 and left a very-similar hole.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DA1F3BF936A15751C0A96F948260

Ron Wanttaja

 

[Richard]

The March 2008 issue of AMT magazine had an article on this. Evidently the center tank was purged with a contaminated gas (supposed to be pure O2).

That is, if the accident plane is the same as mentioned in the article....

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Newest reports indicate a structural issue, no evidence of terrorism.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25843853/?GT1=43001

 

[KennyFlys]

I wonder if there were any baggage claims?

 

[Bob Noel]

>Evidently the center tank was purged with a contaminated gas (supposed to be pure O2).

Pure O2? I hope not.

 

[KennyFlys]

>Evidently the center tank was purged with a contaminated gas (supposed to be pure O2).

Pure O2? I hope not.

Nitrogen, perhaps?

 

[mikea]

You gotta see the pictures... could it have been a bomb in the cargo area?

Metal fatigue, just like the Aloha Airlines 737 convertible.

 

[TMetzinger]

The March 2008 issue of AMT magazine had an article on this. Evidently the center tank was purged with a contaminated gas (supposed to be pure O2).

That is, if the accident plane is the same as mentioned in the article....

O2? Shouldn't it have been purged with something inert, like Nitrogen?

 

[bstratt]

Paper this morning states they are concentrating on an oxygen canister which may have exploded.