[12] The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found a fault with one of the aircraft's three air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) and a previously unknown software design limitation of the Airbus A330's fly-by-wire flight control primary computer (FCPC). A QANTAS plane suddenly plunged towards the ocean, not once, but twice, due to a mysterious glitch onboard the popular aircraft. [13], The crew was led by Captain Kevin Sullivan (53), a former US Navy (1977-1986) pilot. The aircraft was fitted with three ADIRUs to provide redundancy for fault tolerance, and the FCPCs used the three independent AOA values to check their consistency. The over-speed warnings are louder, sounding like a fire bell. Some of the damage incurred aboard Qantas Flight 72 when it lost altitude during the flight from Singapore to Perth. The aircraft was equipped with an ADIRU manufactured by Northrop Grumman; investigators sent the unit to Northrop Grumman in the United States for further testing. For the first time, the captain of the imperilled Qantas Flight 72 reveals his horrific experience of automation's dark side: when one computer "went psycho" and put more than 300 passengers at risk. Furious teacher launches textbooks in classroom, Kate Middleton seen at engagement for first time since interview, 'We're not a racist family': William hits back at Harry's claims, No10 unveil trailer about UK's 'envy of the world' vaccine rollout, Meghan Markle's friend says 'emails and texts support' claims, Italian Foreign Minister explains block of vaccines to Australia. On 7 October 2008 at 09:32 SST, Qantas Flight 72, with 315 people on board, departed Singapore on a scheduled flight to Perth, Western Australia. Mr Maiava was previously offered $35,000 from Qantas as a one-off for his injuries, but was advised against accepting because it would have prevented him from taking class action in the US. Paramedics assisted 119 people who suffered minor injuries, and 12 who sustained severe injuries, Eleven years later, Mr Maiava continues to battle chronic pain (pictured is the aftermath of the two nosedives). ", Australian Transport Safety Bureau — final report and materials, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Qantas_Flight_72&oldid=1006904926, Aviation accidents and incidents in Western Australia, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by instrument failure, Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A330, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, In-flight upset due to software error resulting in two pitch-downs, the flight control computers commanding a nose-down aircraft movement, resulting in the aircraft pitching down to a maximum of about 8.5 degrees, and. On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72 was scheduled to fly from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Perth Airport (PER). This is Qantas’ worst-ever accident - and Sunday Night spoke to the crew, passengers and the hero pilot to find out how a plane went psycho - and why the lessons of Qantas flight 72 … Captain Kevin Sullivan and his team were able to successfully land the plane at Learmonth Airport, on the north coast of Western Australia, 50 minutes after the first nosedive. This story was originally published as Qantas flight 72: Captain Kevin Sullivan saves 315 people on board In the usual case, when all three AOA values were valid and consistent, the average value of AOA 1 and AOA 2 was used by the FCPCs for their computations. Credit: Seven. Some of the damage incurred aboard Qantas Flight 72 when it lost altitude during the flight from Singapore to Perth. As the plane recovered, the aircraft took another sudden plunge - 400 feet in 15 seconds. One couple asserted that they were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the incident and questioned Qantas' handling of their cases. Armed police officer arrested over kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard is found in custody cell with 'serious... Trevor Phillips says Oprah should have asked Harry and 'remarkably ill-informed' Meghan about the prince's... 'Perhaps they can finally set the record straight about me': Meghan's friend Omid Scobie quotes email he... Bring back Piers! He remains unable to work or drive a vehicle. [14] Captain Sullivan had 13,592 flight hours, including 2,453 hours on the Airbus A330. As with other safety-critical systems, the development of the A330/A340 flight control system during 1991 and 1992 had many elements to minimise the risk of a design error. Within a minute, the plane's autopilot disconnects. The Casey’s daughters, 17-year-old Becky and 18-year-old Elise, are at the front of the cabin, sitting in crew jump seats. The ADIRU failure mode had not been previously encountered, or identified by the ADIRU manufacturer in its safety analysis activities. The comments below have been moderated in advance. [33] In May 2019, a book on the incident by Kevin Sullivan (captain of the flight) was published in Australia. The pilots stabilised the plane and declared a state of alert, which was later updated to mayday when the extent of injuries was relayed to the flight crew. Paramedics assisted 119 people who suffered minor injuries, and 12 who sustained severe injuries. Qantas Flight 72’s brush with disaster happened almost ten years ago, on October 7, 2008. However, Qantas has banned any of its current employees from being interviewed about the incident, including Diana Casey, an off-duty customer service manager who helped numerous others on board, despite being injured herself. In June 2019, Seven Network's Sunday Night featured the events of Qantas 72 through recollections of several passengers and crew that were on board the flight, including Sullivan, flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava, as well as comments from US Airways Flight 1549 captain Chesley "Sully" Sullen… [24] The incident again fuelled media speculation regarding the significance of the aforementioned Harold E. Holt facility, with the Australian and International Pilots Association calling for commercial aircraft to be barred from the area as a precaution until the events could be better understood,[25][26] while the manager of the facility claimed that it was "highly, highly unlikely" that any interference had been caused. Ricky Gervais, 59, becomes the latest star to get the Covid-19 vaccine as he shares a... Alastair Campbell apologises for 'helping the anti-vaxxer cause' after sharing Danish story that claims... 'Tell us how much it cost! He currently receives $580 a week from the Accident Compensation Corporation New Zealand (ACC) but fears he might be placed on the sickness benefit which has a significantly lower price tag. Fuzzy Maiava was on the QF72 from Singapore to Perth flight on October 7, 2008, preparing meals when the plane suddenly plunged 150 feet in two seconds, and again 400 feet in 15 seconds. Source:News Limited The emergency resulted … The autopilot was disengaged by the crew after about 15 seconds and would remain disengaged for the remainder of the flight. Five seconds later, stall and over-speed warnings begin blaring. "The first nosedive, my sister grabbed on to the bottom of her chair, and she looked up at me as I was on the top of the airplane." Qantas Flight 72 (QF72) was a scheduled flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Perth Airport. Published: 04:47 GMT, 20 May 2019 | Updated: 03:23 GMT, 3 July 2019. After more than 11 years, we the undersigned are respectfully calling on the Australian Prime Minister, The Hon. It had been smooth sailing for Qantas Flight 72 as it jetted from Singapore to Perth in perfect weather conditions on 7th October 2008. These included peer reviews, a system safety assessment (SSA), and testing and simulations to verify and validate the system requirements. Twenty seconds later, the pilots were able to return the aircraft to the assigned cruise flight level, FL370. The crew performed the revised procedure released by Airbus after the earlier accident and returned to Perth uneventfully. If either AOA 1 or AOA 2 significantly deviated from the other two values, the FCPCs used a memorised value for 1.2 seconds. How Three Heroes Saved 315 Lives Onboard Qantas Flight 72 in “Terror Flight From Hell” Ten Years ago, on October 7, 2008, a Qantas Airbus A330 carrying 315 passengers from Singapore to Perth was 37,000 feet in the air when the autopilot disengaged as a result of a computer malfunction, and the aircraft nose-dived twice towards the Indian Ocean. However, Qantas has banned any of its current employees from being interviewed about the incident, including … Fuzzy Maiava (right) was on the ill-fated Qantas flight from Singapore to Perth on October 7, 2008, when his life changed forever, Mr Maiava suffered life-long injuries which have left him unable to work or drive a car. At 12:42:27, the aircraft made a sudden, uncommanded pitch down manoeuvre, experiencing –0.8 g,[note 1] reaching 8.4 degrees pitch down and rapidly descending 650 feet (200 m). ... flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava was heating food in … Seven months after the incident, his daughter is still in need of 24-hour care due to serious brain injuries. ': Demands that Downing Street reveal how much its self-congratulatory... 'Matt Hancock? Qantas Airbus A330-303 (VH-QPA) flight QF72 – view of the cabin ceiling. The incident started at 12:40:26 WST, when one of the aircraft's three air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) started providing incorrect data to the flight computer. 'It's been 11 years of hell. Scott Morrison MP, Qantas Group Chairman, Mr. Richard Goyder, Qantas Group Board of Directors, Qantas Group CEO, Mr. On October 7, 2008, QF72 was flying from Singapore to Perth over the Indian Ocean when the on-board computer system went, in Kevin’s words, “pyscho” and suddenly nose-dived. In the back galley, flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava was heating food in an oven when he suddenly slammed into the ceiling - the same fate of everyone else on board who wasn't strapped into a seat when the plane plunged 200 metres in 20 seconds. Angle of attack (AOA) is a critically important flight parameter, and full-authority flight control systems, such as those equipping A330/A340 aircraft, require accurate AOA data to function properly. The design limitation meant that, in a very rare and specific situation, multiple spikes in angle of attack (AOA) data from one of the ADIRUs could result in the FCPCs commanding the aircraft to pitch down. It released an Operators Information Telex to operators of A330 and A340 aircraft with procedural recommendations and checklists to minimise risk in the event of a similar incident. [3] Copies of data from the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were sent to the BEA and Airbus.[17]. ", "What Caused Flight 72 to Lose Control in 2008? The airline announced it would refund the cost of all travel on their itineraries covering the accident flight, offer a voucher equivalent to a return trip to London applicable to their class of travel and pay for medical expenses arising from the accident. In a preliminary report, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) identified a fault occurring within the Number 1 ADIRU as the "likely origin of the event"; the ADIRU, one of three such devices on the aircraft, began to supply incorrect data to the other aircraft systems. On 15 January 2009, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive[21] to address the problem of A330 and A340 aircraft, equipped with the Northrop-Grumman ADIRUs, incorrectly responding to a defective inertial reference. Fuzzy Maiava suffered life-changing injuries on the ill-fated Qantas flight from Singapore to Perth on October 7, 2008. Fuzzy Maiava on a stretcher after he was badly injured on Qantas Flight 72 in 2008. Need more greens in your diet but don't like the taste? [22][23], The initial effects of the fault were:[4], About two minutes later, ADIRU No. At 12:45:08, the aircraft made a second uncommanded manoeuvre of a similar nature, this time causing an acceleration of +0.2 g,[note 2] a 3.5 degree down angle, and a loss of altitude of 400 feet (120 m); the flight crew was able to re-establish the aircraft's assigned level flight 16 seconds later. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In addition to the three flight-deck crew members, there were nine cabin crew members and 303 passengers, for a total of 315 people on board. A QANTAS plane suddenly plunged towards the ocean, not once, but twice, due to a mysterious glitch onboard the popular aircraft. I wouldn't be here. [27], VH-QPA sustained minor damage; it was repaired and returned to service with Qantas. St-aaa-ll, st-aaa-ll, they screech. The plane was flying at 37,000 when its computer malfunctioned sending it hurtling towards the Earth. "[15], On 27 December 2008, a Qantas A330-300 aircraft operating from Perth to Singapore was involved in an occurrence approximately 260 nautical miles (480 km) north-west of Perth and 350 nautical miles (650 km) south of Learmonth Airport at 1729 WST, while flying at FL360. "All I could see was the floor disappearing away from my feet," Mr Maiava told Air Crash Investigations. The aircraft, VH-QPA, was delivered new to Qantas on 26 November 2003, initially as an A330-301. [4], After detailed forensic analysis of the FDR, the FCPC software, and the ADIRU, it was determined that the CPU of the ADIRU corrupted the angle of attack (AOA) data. In May 2019, a book on the incident by Kevin Sullivan (captain of the flight) was published in Australia. [34] In June 2019, Seven Network's Sunday Night featured the events of Qantas 72 through recollections of several passengers and crew that were on board the flight, including Sullivan, flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava, as well as comments from US Airways Flight 1549 captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. 0 have signed. Super Greens+ helped these people go greener. If it weren't for the quick thinking of former U.S Navy Top Gun, Qantas Captain Kevin 'Sully' Sullivan (Ret.) The first officer was Peter Lipsett, and the second officer was Ross Hales. He now takes pills daily for chronic pain and conditions such as anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Prince Charles refuses to comment on Meghan and Harry's interview, Bodycam video of Oklahoma cops shooting gas station robber, Charles to NHS staff: I can imagine how hard it's been not seeing family, 'Sober' Miley Cyrus 'downs shots' and dances with mystery man, Funeral staff on the struggles of working during the pandemic, Biden refuses to take questions from press on his 48th day in office, Bad education!