06-29-2009
Qantas pilot Capt. John Francis Bartels looks at the damaged fuselage Friday in Manila, Philippines.----
An inspection later revealed a hole in the jet's fuselage, which authorities were investigating, said Geoff Dixon, Qantas CEO.
"One hour into the flight there was a big bang, then the plane started going down," passenger Marina Scaffidi, 39, from Melbourne, told The Associated Press by phone from Manila airport. "There was wind swirling around the plane and some condensation."
The hole extended from the cargo hold into the passenger cabin, AP quoted her as saying.
"The plane kept going down not too fast, but it was descending," Scaffidi said, adding the jetliner was over the South China Sea when staff informed passengers they were diverting to Manila, according to AP.
"No one was very hysterical," she said. Oxygen masks were deployed during the emergency, AP reported.
The plane had a "hole near its wing," the security deputy at Manila International Airport Authority told a local radio station, according to a report in the Australian Associated Press.
The Boeing 747 was diverted to Manila International Airport, where it landed around 11:15 a.m. (11:15 p.m. ET Thursday). There were no reports of injuries among the 346 passengers and 19 crew, the airline said in a statement.
The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have been notified and plan to investigate, Dixon said
