Men Who Killed Qantas - Matthew Benns [82]
More importantly, the first officer’s aileron control cables running along the right side of the aircraft had been cut, meaning it was impossible for him to fly the aircraft. Modern aircraft duplicate many systems as a safety back-up. Cables controlling those ailerons also run from the captain’s controls down the left side of the aircraft. Captain Bartels could still fly the jet, without the usual first officer back-up, from his controls. The jet was also displaying still more system failure messages including those for all three instrument landing systems, the left flight management computer, the left very high frequency omni-directional radio-range navigation instrument and the aircraft’s anti-skid braking system. Captain Bartels, a former navy flyer, was back to basics.
The plane was diverted to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino international airport for an emergency landing. The flight crew began dumping fuel and received vectoring assistance from Manila air traffic control. Captain Bartels used visual aids to conduct a smooth touchdown on runway 06, using full reverse thrust and minimal braking. The passengers broke into a round of spontaneous applause.
International Federation of Airline Pilots technical director Richard Woodward said that Qantas pilots were trained to land without the use of landing systems. ‘It’s practised regularly in the flight simulator and in my experience this pilot’s pretty good at assessing constant glide paths and the angles down to landing without any aids on the runway, even though it’s the requirement of transport aeroplanes to have some. Given the conditions, the captain did a very good job.’14 Even Captain Bartels’ wife joined in the praise. ‘I am very proud of him. I always have been. He’s a good operator and I’ve got faith in him as a pilot, for sure,’ she told journalists once he had landed. ‘He’s been flying for 23 years with Qantas and [of that time] he’s had 16 years in command. But there are many like him in Qantas who would have done the same job.’ 15
Once a ground engineer had given the plane a quick look-over, it was towed to the airbridge to disembark the passengers. No one was injured, but several reported feeling faint, light-headed and shaky. ‘It was unclear as to whether those symptoms were associated with hypoxic effects, or the anxiety brought upon by the situation,’ said the ATSB report.16 Manila airport operations officer Ding Lima told local radio: ‘Upon disembarkation, there were some passengers who vomited. You can see in their faces they were really scared.’17 Others broke down in tears.
Passenger Sarah Lucas said: ‘When we landed there were a lot of people who rushed up to see the [right] side of the plane so I knew there was something on that side and then we walked round to have a look.’ It was only then, when looking at the gaping hole in the fuselage, that many passengers fully realised just how lucky they were to be back on the ground. ‘I didn’t realise how bad it was until we got down,’ said Ms Lucas.18 Teenager Rachael Angley said: ‘Once we’d seen the outside of the plane and could see the hole and the bags hanging out it hit me that I might have lost my bag. Then I realised I had survived and knew that was so much more important. One woman who was on the plane with her three children broke down in tears. I was really impressed with the way Qantas’s staff cared for Ben and me during the flight.’19
Back in Australia, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon said he was ‘horrified’ when he learned about the explosion on QF30. ‘This was an absolutely serious incident; we do not downplay this. Obviously the aircraft was traumatised. I suspect there were many things on the aircraft that may well have been damaged,’ he said at a press conference the following day. ‘I would like to praise the work done by the pilots, cabin crew and the passengers in what must have been a very frightening situation, but we are incredibly proud of how our people reacted to this,’ he continued,