Australia’s national airline, Qantas, boasts of never having had a fatal accident in their history of flying commercial jets. However, two incidents in the last week had the potential for a major airline disaster.
In the first one, on a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne, a ruptured oxygen container tore a nine foot section of the Boeing 747 from the jet’s body on Friday, July 25th. A piece of the container tore into the cabin, missing passengers, but causing the crew to fear a mid-air disaster. The flight was forced to land in Manila, Philippines. Spokespeople for Qantas state that the airline went through “very, very strict” security and maintenance checks and that the exploding container was something completely out of anyone’s control. While this incident is still under investigation, Peter Gibson, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, stated that if an oxygen container did explode in mid-air, it would be the first time ever on a passenger jet something like this has happened.
The second incident involved a Boeing 737 that was forced to make an emergency landing in Melbourne 37 minutes after taking off on Monday, July 28th. Passengers and those on the ground give different stories as to what happened. According to passengers on the flight, a door opened in mid-flight. However, a control room operator says that the doors covering the wheels did not close after take-off. They also deny that this classifies as an emergency landing.
This second incident comes on the day the new chief executive of the airline, Alan Joyce, started his job, and only days after Qantas laid off 1,500 people.
While we seem to heave a collective sigh when we hear about jets making emergency landings, especially when parts are blowing off in midair, the thought may come back to wondering if that next flight we or our loved ones are on is going to be as lucky. The chances are miniscule that there will be a plane crash, but this certainly hasn’t let up on the fear many people have of flying. And, while both Qantas incidents may have been beyond human control, two of the leading causes of plane crashes are pilot and maintenance problems.
If you have lost a loved one in an aviation disaster, please contact an experienced injury lawyer in your area.
