CANBERRA, Oct 8 (Reuters) – A computer glitch may havecaused a Qantas (QAN.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) passenger jet to abruptly plummet,injuring at least 30 passengers and crew, Australian air safetyinvestigators said on Wednesday.
The Airbus A330-300, with 303 passengers and 10 crew, wascruising at 37,000 feet (11,200m) from Singapore to Perth onTuesday when it suddenly gained altitude, then pitched sharplydown.
Many on board were flung around the cabin or crashedagainst rooftop luggage compartments before the pilots regainedcontrol and made an emergency landing, passengers said.
"The pilots received electronic centralised aircraftmonitoring messages in the cockpit relating to someirregularity with the aircraft’s elevator control system,"Australian Transport Safety Bureau safety director JulianWalshe said.
"The crew had initiated the non-normal checklist responseactions. The aircraft is then reported to have abruptly pitchednose down," Walshe told reporters in Canberra.
The aircraft landed at a remote military and miningairstrip at Learmonth, near the port of Exmouth, around 1,100kms (700 miles) north of Perth, after pilots issued a "mayday"alert.
"It was horrendous, absolutely gruesome, terrible. Theworst experience of my life," passenger Jim Ford toldAustralian radio after arriving in Perth.
The bureau said 14 people were airlifted to Perth overnightby air ambulance with injuries including concussion,lacerations and broken bones. Another 30 were treated for minorbruises and did not need hospital treatment.
"I put it down to life. The Titanic hit an iceberg. We hitan air pocket," said English tourist Henry Bishop from Oxford,who was on the flight with his wife Doreen.
Qantas has declined to give details on the incident as ainvestigation is carried out by aviation officials. An Airbusinvestigator was also travelling to Australia.
Qantas has been hit by a number of incidents recently.
In one, Australian air safety investigators blamed anoxygen bottle for a mid-air explosion that blew a minivan-sizehole in the side of Qantas 747 last month.
The Qantas 747-400 suffered a sudden loss of cabin pressureduring a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne on July 25, forcingthe aircraft to make an emergency descent before diverting tothe Philippines, where it landed safely in Manila.
The pilot landed the plane manually, with help from airtraffic controllers in Manila, where all 346 passengers and 19crew disembarked safely.(Reporting by Rob Taylor; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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