Accident description
Last updated: 19 June 2013
| Status: | Preliminary - official |
| Date: | 04 NOV 2010 |
| Time: | 11:45 |
| Type: |  Airbus A380-842 |
| Operator: | Qantas |
| Registration: | VH-OQA |
| C/n / msn: | 014 |
| First flight: | 2008-01-25 (2 years 9 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8533 |
| Cycles: | 1843 |
| Engines: | 4 Rolls Royce 972-84 Trent |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 29 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 440 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 469 |
| Airplane damage: | Substantial |
| Airplane fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | near Batam Island (Indonesia) |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Singapore-Changi International Airport (SIN/WSSS), Singapore |
| Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY), Australia | |
| Flightnumber: | 32 |
An Airbus A380-842 passenger jet, registered VH-OQA, incurred substantial damage in an accident near Batam Island, Indonesia. There were no fatalities. The airplane operated on Qantas flight QF32 from Singapore-Changi International Airport (SIN) to Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD).
The airplane took off from runway 20C at 09.56. Following a normal takeoff, the crew retracted the landing gear and flaps. The crew reported that, while
maintaining 250 kts in the climb and passing 7,000 ft above mean sea level, they heard two almost coincident 'loud bangs', followed shortly after by indications of a failure of the No 2 engine.
The aircraft levelled off and because of an overheat warning of engine No 2, thrust for this engine was moved to 'idle'. Meanwhile, at 10:02, when the airplane was flying over Batam Landmass, the crew radioed a PAN call to the Approach Controller citing a possible engine failure. At that time, the pilot of QFA 32 maintained height on 7,500 feet and requested to be on heading 150 degrees to investigate the problem, but did not request to return to Singapore immediately. Later on at 10.21, the crew reported that they had been gone through an extensive checklist and found that there was a hole in the side of engine number 2 and it had damaged a part of the wing. The pilot then requested to hold for half an hour before making an approach to Changi Airport.
A moment later, an air traffic controller from Batam Tower, who had received a report stating that parts of an aircraft had been found on Batam Center-Batam Island made a report to Singapore ATC Approach Sector about the finding.
The pilot informed Singapore ATC that other engines apart from engine number 2 appeared to be functioning normal; thus required an approach on Runway 20C at Changi Airport and a towing assistance when the aircraft stopped at the end of the runway.
While the aircraft was stopping abeam taxiway E10, Changi’s Airport Emergency Service (AES) found that engine number 2 was damaged near the rear of the engine and fuel had leaked from the port side (left wing). Moreover, there was smoke from tyre number 7 and there were 4 tyres deflated, meanwhile, the pilot was not able to shut off engine number 1. Nevertheless, it was safe to disembark passengers. Exactly at 13:54, all passengers had been disembarked, and finally at 14:53, engine number 1 was finally able to be shutdown.
Analysis of the preliminary elements from the incident investigation shows that an oil fire in the HP/IP structure cavity may have caused the failure of the Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) Disc.
Events:
Sources:
» ATSB
» Ministry of Transport, Indonesia
Follow-up / safety actions
ATSB issued 1 Safety Recommendation
EASA issued 2 Airworthiness Directives
EASA issued 2 Emergency Airworthiness Directives
Show all AD's and Safety Recommendations
EASA issued 2 Airworthiness Directives
EASA issued 2 Emergency Airworthiness Directives
Show all AD's and Safety Recommendations
Photos
Video/animation
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Singapore-Changi International Airport to Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW as the crow flies is 6263 km (3914 miles).
Distance from Singapore-Changi International Airport to Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW as the crow flies is 6263 km (3914 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
