Navy base could have caused Qantas jet plunge

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

Powerful signals from a secret U.S.-Australian navy communications base could have caused a Qantas Airbus jet to suddenly dive last month, injuring scores of passengers, Australia's air safety agency said on Friday.

But the agency said it was more likely the accident was caused by a glitch in an air data inertial reference unit, which feeds flight information to the Qantas aircraft's main computer.

The Airbus, with 303 passengers and 10 crew, was cruising at 37,000 feet (11,200m) from Singapore to Perth on October 7 when it suddenly gained altitude, then plummeted more than 1,000 feet in little over a minute.

(snip)
The station, on Australia's northwest coast, is the most powerful transmission station in the Southern Hemisphere and has been a frequent target of peace protests since it opened in 1963.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD341719.htm

[Poll_Blind]

1. Well, they ask to turn your cell phones off in flight. "Most powerful transmission station in...

...the Southern Hemisphere"? Ya, I'd say there could be something going on with that.

PB

[thunder rising]

2. 1,000 feet in little over a minute? Are you sure that's not 10K feet. 1k/m is a smooth glide

To really be racy it would have to be 1000 ft in a few seconds.

[cal04]

4. the actual report and another account from SMH

The flight injured 74 passengers when it dropped nose-first for 650 feet in 20 seconds, levelled out momentarily, and plunged another 400 feet in 16 seconds.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/naval-base-link-to-qantas-plunge/2008/11/14/1226318890475.html


ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/atsb-qantasreport.pdf

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. 400 feet in 16 seconds is ~2000 fpm.

Nothing unusual about that. Jet insertions from high altitude/in transit to terminal controlled airspace often exceed -- far exceed -- that sink rate.

Someone who doesn't know much about flying wrote the article.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Vertical Acceleration Might Have Been High At The Dive's Start And/Or End

*That* could cause injuries.

Also, it's really, really unlikely that a ground-based transmitter could cause a glitch like that. I'd bet on a software issue.

[Staph]

3. Is this what happened ...

to Oceanic Flight 815?

[AndyTiedye]

6. Could Something Like That Have Been Done to Wellstone's Plane?

[lynnertic]

12. .

:tinfoilhat:

bringing down planes with a software signal...

[PM Martin]

9. What is this Oceanic Flight all about?

[Andrushka]

10. The Dharma Initiative

eom

[PM Martin]

8. kick

We should all read this one.
The issue needs to be addressed.

[Algorem]

11. Take the money away from the Pentagon.

[FtWayneBlue]

13. If it has been protested since 1963,

and its location is known, what exactly is secret about it?

[Thothmes]

14. Not really secret., been there since 63

It is the Harold E. Holt Naval Communications Station. Handles communications for Naval vessels in the South Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean.