Qantas Flight Declares 'Mayday' Over Western Australia

A Qantas A-330 en route to Perth from Singapore declared an in-flight emergency after hitting Clear Air Turbulence (CAT).

With at least 36 people injured in-flight, the crew of a Qantas flight made a spectacular landing in the remote town of Learmonth in the State of Western Australia. The flight experienced a sudden change in altitude, but officials have not released details. Out of 303 passengers on board, 12 are still in critical condition. Learmonth, being a remote location, the Royal Flying Doctor Service sent four aircraft to the scene. CAT can be a destructive part of flying and sometimes virtually impossible to detect in time. Passengers who had their seat belts fastened during the incident were not injured. There were no reports of damage to the plane.