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Qantas flight plunges 20000 feet as door pops


Torneyboy

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A cargo door opening.

 

When United first replaced Pan Am on the LA-SYD route they lost a cargo door on a 747 enroute and spooked most Austrailians from flying them. Sadly, I'm old enough to remember that.

 

I've heard of chunks of ice, eminating from a lavatory, blowing a good sized hole in the tail of the fuselage of a DC-10.

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That looks like the wing root failed. Interesting failure indeed. Makes me wonder if a small explosion in the hold caused it? Not insinuating terrorism, could have been accidental.

 

You can see one of the cargo doors, intact, in front of the wing. The other cargo door is aft of the wing.

 

Cheers,

SD

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And OH has mysteriously disappeared when we need him. :hmmm:

He's showing Coss around the bathhouse, err, the city I believe. Poor Kiwi just won't know what hit him LOL!

 

Back on topic, not too old of a plane, 1991.

 

Here's a better pix of the damage:

 

thumb_1216974834-qantashole.jpg

 

Cheers,

SD

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SD,

 

You're right. The cargo door is seen forward of the hole. That is very strange to have the hole there. You can see inside the baggage/cargo hold. I worked on 747's for years and never saw anything like that. I've seen cargo doors blown off, but nothing like that. It'll be interesting to hear how exactly this happened. OH should have some insight to this.

 

BTW, on the 747s all baggage/cargo access doors are on the right side of the aircraft. (Co-pilot's side.) 3 doors, the one forward of the wing, one just aft of the wing, and one toward the tail for 'bulk' baggage, freight and mail. The 'bulk' aft compartment is pressurized, and is where live animals are placed.

 

Cent

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