The event appears to have been unique in commercial aviation history. More importantly, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has no idea how it can be prevented from happening again—particularly since the bottle fell into the sea and therefore cannot be examined.

“There’s nothing at this stage that the ATSB can identify that could have been done to prevent this,” says investigator Julian Walsh. “We don’t really know why the bottle failed. That’s the key question for the investigation.”

Although the bottle blasted into the cabin, no one was hurt in the incident, which occurred at 29,000 feet. The flight crew reacted within 20 seconds of the depressurization warning by reducing thrust on all engines and extending the speed brakes for a descent to 10,000 feet. They called “mayday” on the regional air traffic control frequency, dumped excess fuel and approached and landed visually at Manila without further incident.

“The flight crew reported that many system failure messages were displayed, including all three instrument landing systems, the left VHF omnidirectional radio-range navigation instrument, the left flight management computer and the aircraft anti-skid braking system,” the bureau says in its preliminary report.

Early accounts seemed to suggest that the main part of the bottle, number four in a row of seven in the cargo bay just ahead of the right wing root, had blasted down and out of the fuselage while the valve at the top had shot up into the cabin.

The bureau’s preliminary report now makes clear that discharge from the lower part of the bottle blew open the fuselage and propelled the main part of the bottle upward. The bottle burst through the main deck, making a hole 20 centimeters (8 in.) in diameter, then hit a door frame, a door handle and the overhead paneling before falling back out of the aircraft, leaving parts of the valve behind.

The implication is that, by a stroke of bad luck, the bottle had managed to escape through the two holes it had already made and then dropped into the sea—and is therefore unavailable for inspection.

The first officer’s aileron cables were severed in the incident, but the captain’s cables on the other side of the aircraft (the left side) were not. “Numerous electrical cables and cable bundles, routed through the lower aircraft fuselage near the point of rupture, had sustained damage or been severed by the rupture event,” the bureau added. “Approximately 86 discrete conductors from six separate bundles had been affected.”

The airline has confirmed that the flight was delayed for more than an hour before the accident because of a faulty total air temperature sensor. That sensor was shut off by mechanics.

Spanair says there is no link between this maintenance issue and the accident. Also, the MD-82’s minimum equipment list allows flights without the sensor operative.

Spanair’s flight JK 5022 from Madrid to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria crashed on takeoff killing 153 people of the 172 passengers and crew on board. The aircraft appears to have left the runway surface for a brief period of time before veering to the right and crashing into rocky terrain on the side of Barajas’ runway 18L/36R.

The cockpit voice and flight data recorders have been recovered from the wreckage.

A flight attendant remained in the cockpit with the first officer.

However when the pilot returned, the door was apparently stuck — or locked — and the pilot was unable to return into the cockpit.

For approximately 10 minutes, passengers described seeing the pilot bang on the door and communicating with the cockpit through an internal telephone, but being unable to open the cabin door.

Eventually, the crew forced the door open by taking the door off its hinges completely, and the pilots safely landed the plane — although in the event that the pilot was unable to access the cockpit, the first officer is also fully qualified to land the aircraft.

Air Canada Jazz said the incident is a first for them. But in Canada, a pilot getting locked out of the cockpit is a “non-reportable” incident, meaning airlines have no obligation to inform Transport Canada about it as they investigate themselves.

However, airline analysts warn that incidents like these are disasters waiting to happen — both in terms of accidents related to human error and vulnerability to terrorism.

The pilot “can be taken hostage by someone in the plane with hostile intent,” said Peter St. John, a Winnipeg-based security analyst.

“There’s sloppiness, there’s inconsistency, and there are vulnerabilities that terrorists are going to notice, and they’re going to see it and say this is easy pickings.”

Air Canada insists that this is the first instance of this ever happening, but since being locked out of the cockpit is a non-reportable incident, there is no way of confirming their frequency as the airlines are under no obligation to report them.

In December 2007, this Boeing 737-700 belonging to SAA was taxiing on Lusaka International airport, Zambia, when it hit and overturned a stationary utility truck with the left wing tip. No injury, but the impact made a hole in the wing. The scene was shot by a passenger onboard the plane.

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The Federal Aviation Administration disclosed the fine on Thursday after The Associated Press asked about violations cited in FAA documents. The FAA said it notified United of the proposed penalty on Friday.

A Feb. 25 flight with 125 people aboard slid off the runway after landing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. No one was seriously hurt. The National Transportation Safety Board said in March that the A320 at Jackson Hole and another United A320 that also skidded off a runway had crossed wiring in their main landing gear. It is believed that caused the wheels to lock.

United checked all its A320s and found a third with the wiring problem. That aircraft was not involved in an accident.

FAA documents reviewed by the AP alleged two violations by United:

– For three weeks leading up to the Jackson Hole incident, United had operated that A320 on 66 flight legs when it “was not airworthy” according to the instructions in an Airbus manual.

– United failed to identify that wiring for anti-skid devices on the landing gear were swapped.

The FAA found that the wires were swapped when new landing gear was installed on that aircraft in Denver on Feb. 3. The connections were tested and the plane returned to flying the next day.

In a written statement United said it had not yet received a copy of the FAA’s letter and that immediately after the incident it took the “corrective steps that were necessary to ensure the A320 anti-skid systems worked properly and shared that information with our partners and employees.”

United is a unit of Chicago-based UAL Corp.

Airline maintenance has been in the spotlight since spring, when the FAA came under fire for its handling of safety issues at Southwest Airlines Co. and AMR Corp.’s American Airlines. The agency is seeking a $7.1 million fine from American and has proposed a $10.2 million fine — its largest ever — against Southwest.

On July 11, EgyptAir celebrated its induction as the 21st member of Star Alliance, officially expanding its network to 1,624 weekly flights to 69 destinations around the world. The Cairo Airport Authority is scheduled to open a dedicated Star Alliance terminal later this year, capable of serving 11 million passengers annually.

Boeing news release, SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2008

Although the lower deck will be reserved primarily for cargo, it could be outfitted for special passenger uses such as sleeper cabins, business centers or even child care service. In a one-class configuration, the A380 could accommodate as many as 840 passengers. The more likely three-class configuration will still offer an unprecedented 555 passenger seats. Either way, the A380 would offer 30% - 50% more seating than its direct competition, the Boeing 747-400.

Although the A380 will be able to fly a distance of over 10,000 miles, the plane’s usefulness will not be limited to long-haul flights. For instance, many flights within Japan are among the highest in passenger capacity and would be well suited for A380 service, despite their short distances. Whatever the flight distance, a new breed of engines will be required to lift the plane’s 1.2 million pounds into the air. Rolls Royce and GE/Pratt & Whitney are both working on engines to provide thrust that will max out at 75,000 pounds. By comparison, the first American jet airliner in service, the Boeing 707, was powered by only 10,000 pounds of thrust.

As amazing as it will be for this behemoth to take off into the air, the A380 faces significant challenges on the ground as well. To integrate into existing airports, the A380 must fit the standard airport-docking plan. The plane’s nearly 262-foot wingspan meets this requirement by about 18 inches. Its outer-most engines, however, would hang just beyond the standard 150-foot runway width, requiring upgrades at many airports. The plane’s weight will be distributed to 20 landing gear wheels, actually producing less weight per wheel than the 747. The cockpit location, between the main and upper decks, is designed to give pilots a vantage point on the runway similar to that of current airliners.

Due to recent technological advances, Airbus claims the A380 will be a more efficient plane than its rival, the 747. Airbus states the A380 will use 20% less fuel and will fly quieter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the 747. Airlines seem to be impressed. So far, ten carriers have declared their interest in the plane, placing options to order a total of 66 planes. The first A380 is scheduled to take flight in September of 2004 and may enter commercial service as early as October of 2005.

Airbus A380 History

The 555 seat, double deck Airbus A380 is the most ambitious civil aircraft program yet. When it enters service in March 2006, the A380 will be the world’s largest airliner, easily eclipsing Boeing’s 747. Airbus first began studies on a very large 500 seat airliner in the early 1990s. The European manufacturer saw developing a competitor and successor to the Boeing 747 as a strategic play to end Boeing’s dominance of the very large airliner market and round out Airbus’ product line-up.  Airbus began engineering development work on such an aircraft, then designated the A3XX, in June 1994. Airbus studied numerous design configurations for the A3XX and gave serious consideration to a single deck aircraft which would have seated 12 abreast and twin vertical tails. However Airbus settled upon a twin deck configuration, largely because of the significantly lighter structure required.  Key design aims include the ability to use existing airport infrastructure with little modifications to the airports, and direct operating costs per seat 15-20% less than those for the 747-400. With 49% more floor space and only 35% more seating than the previous largest aircraft, Airbus is ensuring wider seats and aisles for more passenger comfort. Using the most advanced technologies, the A380 is also designed to have 10-15% more range, lower fuel burn and emissions, and less noise.

The A380 would feature an advanced version of the Airbus common two crew cockpit, with pull-out keyboards for the pilots, extensive use of composite materials such as GLARE, and four 320 to 347kN (72,000 to 78,000lb) class RollsRoyce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance (General Electric/Pratt & Whitney) GP-7200 turbofans now under development.  Several A380 models are planned: the basic aircraft is the 555 seat A380-800 and high gross weight A380-800, with the longer range A380-800R planned. The A380-800F freighter will be able to carry a 150 tonne payload and is due to enter service in 2008. Future models will include the shortened, 480 seat A380-700, and the stretched, 656 seat, A380-900. (The -700, -800, and -900 designations were chosen to reflect that the A380 will enter service as a “fully developed aircraft” and that the basic models will not be soon replaced by more improved variants).

With orders and options from nine world-renowned customers (Air France, Emirates (the first customer), Federal Express (the cargo model launch customer), International Lease Finance Corporation, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic), the Airbus A380 was officially launched on December 19, 2000, and production started on January 23, 2002. More airlines have placed orders since. The out of sequence A380 designation was chosen as the “8″ represents the twin decks. The first flight is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2004, and the entry into commercial service, with Singapore Airlines, is scheduled for March 2006.

A380 final assembly will take place in Toulouse, France, with interior fitment in Hamburg, Germany. Major A380 assemblies will be transported to Toulouse by ship, barge and road.

Airbus A380 Weights

A380-800 - Operating empty 275,000kg (606,000lb), max takeoff 548,000kg (1,208,000lb).
A380-800HGW - Max takeoff 560,000kg (1,235,000lb).

Airbus A380 Performance

A380-800 - Max cruising speed M 0.88. Long range cruising speed M 0.85. Range 15,100km (8,150nm). Service ceiling FL430.
A380-800HGW - same.

Airbus A380 Dimensions

A380-800 Wing span 79.8m (261ft 10in), length 73m (239ft 6in). Height 24,1 m (79ft 1in)

Airbus A380 Capacity (Accomodation)

A380-800 - Flightcrew of two. Standard seating for 555 passengers on two decks in a three class arrangement. Qantas plans to fit its aircraft with 523 seats (in three classes). A380 has 49% more floor area but only 35% more seats (in 555 seat configuration) than the 747-400, allowing room for passenger amenities such as bars, gymnasiums and duty free shops. Cargo capacity 38 LD3s or 13 pallets.

Download Airbus A380 for Microsoft Flight Simulator