Journalism? QF575

[Ansett]

Qantas Sydney to Perth flight evacuated at airport after smoke fills cabin

Seems to have been an A330 based on the seat count Wonder of any members were on board or witnessed and how much cabin baggage was taken.

 

[Mark1966]

"Journalism" - story based on one tweet, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/…/1468d7d02a46345111458df2…

Passengers on a Qantas flight from Sydney to Perth evacuated via slides after the plane was forced to return to Sydney when the cabin reportedly began filling with smoke.
AirlineRatings.com reports that a hydraulics warning light activated on flight QF575 on Sunday and when it landed back on the tarmac it had to be towed to a gate.

One passenger described the incident on Twitter as “terrifying”. “Just had to evacuate my flight to Perth after engineering issues. Everyone had to exit the plane via slide onto Sydney tarmac after the cabin filled with smoke and the captain screamed evacuate,” she tweeted.

AAP

Story disputed on Twitter thread, https://twitter.com/politic_ally/status/1205992177903366144, but most contact is from media looking to make contact. [sigh]

QF statement here - Qantas Responds - Qantas statement on QF575

#15minutesoffame

 

[OATEK]

Qantas cabin ‘filled with smoke’

Dramatic images and video has begun to emerge from inside a Qantas jet from which passengers had to evacuate via slides after the cabin began to fill with smoke.

www.news.com.au

 

[Tropic]

VH-EBC. Airbus A330-202. One of 4 A332 delivered to QF in 2002. Spent 8 years with Jetstar before returning to QF in 2014.

 

[RooFlyer]

The deployment of slides, with the known attendant risk of injury would indicate that the Captain assessed an emergency.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Someone I know was on the flight. Not everyone evacuated via slides. There is more to this story, I think

 

[jb747]

AirlineRatings.com reports that a hydraulics warning light activated on flight QF575 on Sunday and when it landed back on the tarmac it had to be towed to a gate.

I wonder when, if ever, sites that purport to have some aviation knowledge will actually work out that there probably isn't any such thing as an hydraulics warning light. ECAM and EICAS have only been around for 30 or so years.

One passenger described the incident on Twitter as “terrifying”. “Just had to evacuate my flight to Perth after engineering issues. Everyone had to exit the plane via slide onto Sydney tarmac after the cabin filled with smoke and the captain screamed evacuate,” she tweeted.

I know that someone will tell me that I'm 'Mr Sympathy', but terrified by an evacuation at the gate? How would she have fared in so many of the other events that are discussed here?

Some of the claims that I've read don't match up with the data I can see on FR24. The landing does not look unusual. I can't tell whether it was towed to the gate or not, but that would be normal with some hydraulic issues (but not all).

An evacuation at the gate is an interesting event. The doors are disarmed, and so have to be armed again for the slides to operate. It's a toss up as to whether you'd be better off using the bridge or the slides. My preference was always to use the bridges if they were attached. I'm curious as to why all of the slides have not been fired. There was a procedure that allowed this, but it was removed a few years ago.

 

[pauly7]

A friend was at the airport (not on the flight) said some people disembarked normally and calmly and were immediately enquiring about what time the next flight was and whether they could go back to the lounge?! But they saw the slides deployed as well....?

Will be interested to hear the full and non sensationalised story.

 

[RooFlyer]

From a report by the ABC:

Qantas captain Debbie Slade said there had been a "leak of hydraulic fluid" which affects landing controls and flaps on the aircraft.

"I think perhaps some of the hydraulic fluid was pumped in by the air-conditioning system," she said.

"I haven't heard of any indications of smoke. It may have appeared like smoke but it was mist from the hydraulic system."

The Qantas captain said some of the passengers may have had "itchy eyes" or a "scratchy throat" from exposure to the fluid.

Not sure if Ms Slade was on the aircraft or not ... What do you make of her comments @jb747 ?

 

[jb747]

Not sure if Ms Slade was on the aircraft or not ... What do you make of her comments @jb747 ?

I have a lot of time for Debbie. I'm not sure what her job is at the moment, but I think she might be head of safety. She is a well experienced 330 (and 767) Captain. Her comments are likely to be spin free...unlike most spokespeople.

 

[muppet]

I wonder when, if ever, sites that purport to have some aviation knowledge will actually work out that there probably isn't any such thing as an hydraulics warning light. ECAM and EICAS have only been around for 30 or so years

Qantas’s official statement described it as a “coughpit alert for one of three hydraulic systems on the aircraft” so not an unreasonable leap for the journo

I know that someone will tell me that I'm 'Mr Sympathy', but terrified by an evacuation at the gate? How would she have fared in so many of the other events that are discussed here?

Never been in this situation myself, but aren’t you trained to instil urgency when ordering an evacuation?
That loud, stern tone followed by the emergency slides deploying as well as the cabin filling with a haze of hydraulic mist .... seems reasonable to be concerned in my opinion.

 

[Must...Fly!]

As JB has often said is a risk of evacuation on this forum, I believe there are some broken bones from those that somehow used the slides. I'll refrain from hyperbole but there seems to be a suggestion that there was lots confusion on board, from all sides.

 

[drron]

At least some of them didn't take carry ons onto the slides.
.

 

[Mark1966]

At least some of them didn't take carry ons onto the slides.
View attachment 199657.

That kid seems to have enjoyed it!

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Both slides and aerobridges used to exit the aircraft.

First Qantas introduces priority boarding, and now priority exiting. What a month!

 

[Antoallison]

I think it is understandable given the situation that the young university student Ally K, tweeted about the evacuation this morning and ended her tweetnwith the word “Terrifying”.

Maybe she could have used another word.

I guess she was one of the passengers that were directed to one of the 3 slides, rather than the normal exit and airbridge to the terminal.

Apparently she is now on another plane to Perth. Safe and well.

 

[Mark1966]

I think it is understandable given the situation that the young university student Ally K, tweeted about the evacuation this morning and ended her tweetnwith the word “Terrifying”.

Maybe she could have used another word.

I guess she was one of the passengers that were directed to one of the 3 slides, rather than the normal exit and airbridge to the terminal.

Apparently she is now on another plane to Perth. Safe and well.

adjective: terrifying

1. causing extreme fear.

Yeah, she could have used another word

As a law student, "ANU Law | current affairs | australia | chinese language | international relations | feminist", I would have hoped that she had a wider vocabulary and better judgement ...

AAP could also have chosen to not report so sensationally on the basis it seems of one tweet ...

 

[DC3]

... tweeted about the evacuation this morning and ended with the word “Terrifying”. Maybe she could have used another word ...

Another word may have sounded too mundane, and social media wouldn't like that. Crew screaming and being terrified may appeal more than "we were instructed to evacuate the aircraft due to a safety issue". Too boring. Not to belittle the issue, just the manner of the twittering.

 

[DC3]

From some photos of pax expressions, looks like a few knickers may have ridden up.

 

[Tropic]

If you just had to walk quickly to the forward exit from J all well and good, but having to stand looking down that slide with panicked pax behind you (I imagine) and the FA guarding that door shouting jump...I reckon would make anyone a tad apprehensive... maybe she used the word because she found it terrifying..