Hole forces Qantas plane to land

Airport staff inspect damage under the aircraft

A passenger plane en route from London to Melbourne has made an emergency landing in the Philippines after a large hole appeared in its fuselage.

Qantas Airways said its Boeing 747-400, with 346 passengers and 19 crew, diverted to Manila shortly after leaving Hong Kong and landed safely.

Engineers are investigating what caused the hole - about 2.5m to 3m in diameter - that led to cabin pressure problems.

An airport official said passengers looked scared and some were sick.

Airport authority spokesman Octavio Lina said part of the flooring near the affected section gave way, exposing some of the cargo below, and part of the ceiling also collapsed.

"Upon disembarkation, there were some passengers who vomited. You can see in their faces that they were really scared," he said.

'Gust of wind'

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).

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the aircraft made an emergency descent from 29,000ft to 10,000ft. It said initial information indicated that a section of the fuselage had separated in the area of the forward cargo compartment.

Advertisement

A passenger films the Qantas forced landing from inside the plane

Passenger Olivia Lucas told the BBC everyone was "pretty scared for a few moments".

"Then everyone focused on getting their oxygen masks on," she said. "Everyone was calm and quiet and there was notable relief when we landed. Everyone applauded the pilot."

"We are very lucky we landed safely and no-one was hurt."

Phill Restall, from the UK, was woken "with a jolt" by the loud bang before the plane descended rapidly.

"No-one panicked, there was no screaming. It wasn't your typical television movie," he told the BBC News website.

"Everyone listened to the cabin staff."

He said other passengers had told him young children in the main cabin were crying.

Delayed shock

Mr Restall, who was reassured to see the engines "still spinning", said they wore the oxygen masks for about 15 minutes, until the plane levelled out.

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

The pilot then told passengers they were going to land in Manila to have a look at the damage.

"Everyone was fairly calm, partly because they didn't realise the extent of it," he said.

"After we disembarked it started to dawn on people that this was a major incident. There were 350 people up there who were very lucky.

"Seeing the hole caused a lot of emotion. People were physically shaking. Many realised how close they were to their own mortality."

Other passengers reported seeing items flying out of the aircraft.

Dr David Newman, of Flight Medicine Systems, says forcing the plane into a rapid descent after a sudden loss of pressure is a standard emergency procedure.

He says that when cruising, the internal cabin is pressurised to a much lower altitude than outside the aircraft, which is also extremely cold.

"When you've lost pressure, all that high pressure air in the cabin leaves the airplane and from a medical point of view you've got the risk of lack of oxygen - which is compensated for by the oxygen masks," he said.

"The descent is designed to limit how much time you spend up there and of course one of the other issues is that the mass flow of air leaving the airplane - if it's an explosive decompression - will take a lot of loose objects and articles around the cabin and basically try and leave the aircraft via the hole."

The flight, which had been due to arrive in Melbourne at 1145 GMT, landed in Manila just after 0300 GMT (1100 local time ).

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said engineers were investigating what might have caused the hole in the fuselage.

He said Qantas had provided all passengers with accommodation and a replacement aircraft had been arranged.

Top 9 Funniest News paper Classifieds

1. Illiterate? Write today for free help.

(man....if only I knew A B C....) :d

2. Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once; you'll never go anywhere again.

(sure...thanx for the warning!) :d

3. 3-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

(in months or years?) :d

4. Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first.

(check it out) :d

5. Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.

(howwww sweeeet) :d

6. Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.

(wow! A free trip to heaven?) :d

7. Tired of cleaning yourself. Let me do it.

(uh...huh!) :d

8. Wanted. Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.

(hey....who taught cows the bad habit??)

9. We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.

Skin cancer fear 'may harm bones'

Campaigns on the dangers of too much sun have been very successful

Worries over skin cancer mean that some people are shunning the sun altogether - which could endanger their health, a poll has found.

The National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) says lack of vitamin D - part-made by being in the sun - could raise the chances of brittle bone disease.

It advised having lunch outside, gardening or hanging out the washing.

A Cancer Research UK spokesman agreed, but said enough vitamin D could be made long before the first signs of sunburn.

Lying on the beach for two weeks will not top up levels for the rest of the year Professor Roger Francis National Osteoporosis Society

Skin cancer rates have soared in recent years, and health campaigners increasingly urge people to limit the amount of time they spend in direct sunlight without the protection of sunscreen or clothing.

However, the NOS said its survey of more than 2,600 people in June revealed that many believe there is no such thing as safe sun exposure.

Three-quarters of those questioned said that sunscreen should always be applied before going out in the sun.

However, the NOS said that not getting at least 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight on the skin every day could be harmful.

Light falling on the skin produces vitamin D, which is important for bone strength, and studies suggest that low levels of this could raise the risk of osteoporosis, which affects half of all women and a fifth of men over the age of 50.

Outdoors only

Professor Roger Francis, from the NOS Medical Board, said its finding showed the success of public health messages on skin cancer.

"We are not advocating spending lengthy periods in the sun, as too much sun causes skin ageing and melanoma.

"Furthermore, staying in the sun too long means that the body breaks down surplus vitamin D shortly after it is produced.

"Lying on the beach for two weeks will not top up levels for the rest of the year."

He urged people to get out into the light every day - even during cloudy days - to get enough vitamin D to last through the winter.

Simply sitting by a closed window or in a conservatory was not enough, he said, as this did not produce vitamin D.

Caroline Cerny, from Cancer Research UK, which runs its SunSmart campaign to warn people about skin cancer, said the key was a sensible approach.

"The amount of time in the sun required to make enough vitamin D changes from person to person and depends on things like skin type, time of day, time of year, and where you are in the world .

"We all need a bit of sunshine in our lives, but it's important to remember that the amount of sun needed to make enough vitamin D is always less than the amounts that cause reddening of the skin or sunburn."

Sarkozy denies pressurising Irish

Both leaders said they were working jointly to find a "solution"

French President Nicolas Sarkozy insists that no EU "solution" will be imposed on the Republic of Ireland to break the Lisbon Treaty impasse.

Speaking after talks in Dublin, he said there was "no misunderstanding" about a possible second Irish referendum.

Irish voters rejected the EU reform treaty in a referendum on 12 June.

Mr Sarkozy denied having suggested that Ireland hold a new referendum. "I said at some point or other the Irish must give their opinion," he told reporters.

"I never said Ireland had to organise a new referendum... I understand it's the Irish who must decide," he said, but added that "we're a Europe of 27". He noted that 23 member states had already ratified the treaty.

He was addressing a joint news conference with Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen, after their talks.

Election timetable

Both leaders pointed to the European Parliament elections in June 2009, which they said would have to be held either under the Lisbon Treaty or the current Nice Treaty, which was designed for no more than 27 member states.

Protesters asked: "So what does democracy in Europe mean?"

Earlier this month, Mr Sarkozy was quoted as saying the Republic of Ireland would have to hold a second referendum on the EU treaty. The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Dublin says that reported remark annoyed many Irish politicians.

Several hundred anti-treaty protesters rallied outside the government building in Dublin during Mr Sarkozy's brief visit.

The French president met not only Irish politicians but also business leaders and campaigners from the Yes and No camps in the Lisbon Treaty debate.

Ireland was the only one of 27 EU member states to hold a referendum on the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining EU institutions to improve decision-making in the enlarged bloc.

Critics see the treaty as further evidence of a federalist, pro-integration agenda at work in the EU.

After the Irish No vote, Mr Cowen's government said it would analyse the reasons for the result and present its ideas at an EU summit in October. France took over the EU's six-month rotating presidency on 1 July.

"We'll work together on this, there are no ready-made solutions," Mr Cowen told reporters on Monday.

He plans to visit Paris in September for further talks with Mr Sarkozy on resolving the treaty impasse.