A Qantas A380 travelling from Sydney Kingsfordsmith International (SYD) bound for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) experienced a surprising structural error when the wing of the plane displayed some sudden deterioration. Upon reaching its destination, the aircraft was inspected by technicians, and the apparent cause of the deterioration was the slats, which came apart in transit.
The Problems Manifested
The aircraft – colloquially known as “Paul McGinness” – had been deemed fit for service because of the new inspections it had received two days prior, with this tenth A380 making its first flight after being stored away for almost six years, with the full inspection taking double the amount of time. This would set the record for the largest maintenance inspection within the airline’s 105-year history. A statement by Cam Wallace, the CEO of Qantas, mentioned some of the kinds of service checks to expect:
“…engineers around the globe came together to complete more than 100,000 hours of work to prepare the aircraft for flying again, from extensive checks to heavy maintenance, landing gear replacement, a full cabin refresh and assessment flying, with parts shipped by land, sea and sky.”
The aircraft in question had been registered with the designation VH-OQC and ran up a combined service of 17.5 years.
Potential Causes for the Fault
The Los Angeles incident has come under scrutiny after the story reached various Australian media networks, with one social media post being shared by Australian TV presenter Lynn Gilmartin, who was present on that flight, but the main point of contention about the Airbus’ flight capability comes from the implications of the technical errors. Some of the earliest signs reported included malfunctioning cabin lights, in-flight televisions, and overflowing lavatories. However, the more serious faults occurred with the breaking of the slats. These slats are designed to extend and retract the wings of a plane, and are movable components that rest within the compartments. Should any of these break, it could create a large hole and compromise the structural integrity of the plane.
One reason for this may be the binding materials experiencing gradual wear and tear, or the adhesive agent used to keep them together being applied less carefully to vulnerable areas. These slats will now have to be replaced in time for any further upcoming flights from “Paul McGinness” there and back.
This new launch seems to have set back the initial hype with manufacturing issues that would have escalated if they had not been spotted in time.
Do you think the investigation into the fault should continue, taken even further to a manufacturing grade? Leave us your thoughts below!
