Qantas Pilots Saved Crippled Airbus, Investigator Says

My fear early on in the A380 (or 3XX) project was "what happens to public sentiment when the first plane goes down taking its ~500 pax with it?". It appears this flight was only minutes from becoming that dreadful flight. I wonder if the airlines would start dumping the A380 had this flight turned into a trajedy? Glad we can only speculate.

This incident/accident is reminiscent of the DC10. One would have thought that incident would have told Airbus to install features that would not allow for the entire hydraulic system to be drained by one severed line as was the case with the United DC10. It won't take a fatal incident to cause the airlines to back away from this aircraft. Given the fragile economy of Europe, rising fuel prices and the possible downward trend in travel all it will take is one or more incidents such as this one to give the airlines pause to back away. Then of course the flying public refusal to book on these flights can be another factor as it was with the DC10.

If this was to happen Airbus could be down and out. As it is they are almost 2550 sales short of the break even point with this plane. They may not be in a financial position to withstand a production furlough or halt on this plane.

make that 250 not 2550 planes. Sorry for the typo

@ toolguy105 : no, better take a 787 which is overheating/on fire during flight...or take a 777/787 with ETOPS of more than 3 hours...if you would think (if...) you would know that the basic problem here was the engine, not the plane...

The general public only recognizes the airplane...not the engine. So what actually causes the incident/accident becomes completely irrelevant. Because of this reality, the problem truly belongs to Airbus.

Great job by the Pilots who saved nearly 500 lives and MILLIONS of dollars in lawsuits. For those who think pilots aren't worth the wages they get paid, think again!

I agree with Pileits...

Honza .. The A380 is an Aircraft, all of it.. Failure of the Trent 900 and the inadequate design of the containment is hauntingly similar to the failure of the GE CF6-6D in the United DC10 that went down over suoix city. In both cases the true threat to the aircraft was not the catastrophic loss of the engine, which in both cases was survivable but the loss of containment integrity which compromised vital flight systems. Point being, the A380's containment is inadequate. One would think that effective use of hydraulic fuses would be commonplace now ... look for some rethinking of the 380's systems just as McDonnell-Douglas did with the DC-10 and MD-11. Once again, as was the case with United 232, it was the cool mind of the man with his hands on the yoke (stick, whatever) that made the difference here.

Im saying, "stay on the ground and we wouldnt have these problems" Can I Get one ??