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Jet probe turns to oxygen bottles Fragments found on Qantas plane
(1 day later)
A possible oxygen cylinder blast is a main focus for investigators looking into what caused a hole mid-flight in the fuselage of a Qantas passenger jet. Australian safety officials have found fragments of a missing oxygen tank from a Qantas plane which was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday.
Investigator Neville Blyth said a cylinder was missing from the plane but it was "too early to say whether this was the cause of the explosion". The discovery appears to strengthen a theory that a large hole in the fuselage was caused by a mid-flight explosion of an oxygen tank.
But officials caution that it is still too early to say what caused the blast.
The plane, which was flying to Melbourne, was forced to land in the Philippines on Friday.
Passengers reported a loud bang and then rapid decompression of the cabin, forcing the plane to lose altitude rapidly.
None of the 365 passengers and crew were injured.
Qantas has been told to inspect every oxygen bottle on its Boeing 747 fleet.Qantas has been told to inspect every oxygen bottle on its Boeing 747 fleet.
The plane was flying to Melbourne when it had to make an emergency landing in the Philippines on Friday.
Passengers reported a loud bang and then rapid decompression of the cabin.
'No evidence of explosives''No evidence of explosives'
"At this stage, there is no evidence whatsoever that this is a security-related event," Mr Blyth, a senior investigator from the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau, told a news conference in Manila. Philippine bomb-sniffing dogs have already gone through the cargo hold and found no indication of explosives, and there was also no evidence of bomb residues.
Australian Transport and Safety Bureau senior investigator Neville Blyth But on Sunday investigators said a back-up oxygen cylinder - kept near the damaged area - was found to be missing from the aircraft.
"This is being treated as a safety investigation." On Monday they found fragments thought to be from this cylinder.
Philippine bomb-sniffing dogs had gone through the cargo hold and found no indication of explosives, and there was no evidence of bomb residues, Mr Blyth said. WHY QF30 DESCENDED 20,000FT Planes are pressurised as cruising altitudes are freezing and lack sufficient oxygen to breathe Hole causes decompression, rapidly reducing air pressure and risking exposure Oxygen masks are deployed and pilot makes emergency descent to breathable altitude class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7525597.stm">What went wrong on the plane? "There has been a number of small parts recovered from inside the aircraft cabin, including part of the oxygen cylinder valve," Neville Blyth, lead investigator from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, told a news conference.
He added: "It is too early to say whether this was the cause of the explosion, but one of the cylinders which provides back-up oxygen is missing." "It is likely that that valve is from the missing cylinder," he said, adding that further tests were needed.
WHY QF30 DESCENDED 20,000FT Planes are pressurised as cruising altitudes are freezing and lack sufficient oxygen to breathe Hole causes decompression, rapidly reducing air pressure and risking exposure Oxygen masks are deployed and pilot makes emergency descent to breathable altitude class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7525597.stm">What went wrong on the plane? When asked by the French news agency AFP whether the cylinder could have been blown out of the aircraft, creating the hole in the fuselage, he said: "That is possible, yes."
The initial inquiry is likely to take two to three days and a preliminary report on the findings should be released in two to three months, Mr Blyth said. A preliminary report on the findings should be released in two to three months.
Passengers described hearing a large bang and feeling a rush of wind and debris through the cabin about an hour after Flight QF30 left Hong Kong at 0900 local time (0100 GMT) on Friday.Passengers described hearing a large bang and feeling a rush of wind and debris through the cabin about an hour after Flight QF30 left Hong Kong at 0900 local time (0100 GMT) on Friday.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the aircraft made an emergency descent from 29,000ft to 10,000ft before stabilising. It said initial information indicated that a section of the fuselage had separated in the area of the forward cargo compartment. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the aircraft made an emergency descent from 29,000ft to 10,000ft before stabilising.
It said initial information indicated that a section of the fuselage had separated in the area of the forward cargo compartment.
Were you on the plane? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below.Were you on the plane? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below.
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