Qantas jet lost critical pilot instruments in blast

THE Qantas jumbo jet hit by a mid-air explosion lost critical pilot instruments in the blast, it emerged yesterday.

The explosion last Friday, caused by a faulty oxygen cylinder during a flight from London to Melbourne, forced the crew of the Boeing 747 to make an emergency landing in the Philippines.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s director of aviation safety, Julian Walsh, said yesterday investigators found the jet’s three landing instrument systems and its anti-skid braking mechanism were not working after the accident.

“However, evidence indicates that all the aircraft’s main systems, including engines and hydraulics, were functioning normally,” he said.

Mr Walsh said part of the oxygen tank blasted into the passenger cabin through the floor, smashed into a door handle and embedded in the ceiling.

The jet, with 365 passengers aboard, was flying at 29,000ft when the explosion occurred in the cargo bay.