Boeing 747 Makes Emergency Landing After Plane Ruptures
A Qantas Boeing 747 was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila today after part of the plane ruptured during the flight. The rupture left a hole in the fuselage of the plane. Passengers said that the plane - which had taken off from London - plunged 20,000 feet and was “absolutely terrifying”.
An urgent investigation is underway into what punched a hole of about three metres (10 feet) in diameter into the fuselage near the right wing. A Qantas spokeswoman said the plane, carrying 346 passengers and 19 crew, was now undergoing an inspection on the ground in Manila, where luggage could be clearly seen jutting out of the hole.
“There was a terrific boom, and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down,” June Kane, a passenger from Melbourne, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We were told that one of the rear doors, a hole had blown into it, but I’ve since looked at the plane and there’s a gigantic gaping hole in the plane.”
“It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm,” she added, speaking from the Philippine capital. Qantas chief executive officer Geoff Dixon said initial inspections showed the aircraft had sustained a hole in its fuselage, and it was being inspected by engineers. He said the flight crew performed emergency procedures after oxygen masks were deployed and there were no reports of any injuries.