There was little ill effect when a Qantas A380 with 244 aboard blew two tires on landing at Sydney, Wednesday night — except for that felt by passengers watching live on the aircraft’s entertainment system. The aircraft is equipped with a tail-mounted camera and a live video feed of the landing was displayed on screens mounted in passenger seat-backs. Passengers engaged with those screens soon saw the orange glow of fire and sparks erupt beneath the left wing as the aircraft touched down, the tires failed, and the wheels began to grind on the runway. At least one passenger shot video of the event, including their own commentary and bleeped concerns.
The aircraft tracked straight and true on its remaining 18 surviving tires. When the superjumbo stopped, passengers were deplaned and taken by bus to the terminal. No injuries were reported, the problems were addressed and the aircraft was cleared for a Thursday-night trip to Singapore. Qantas blamed the blowouts on problems with the jet’s braking system, calling the occurrence “very rare.”
Related Content:
