Qantas Emergency Landing could have been flight control system malfunction

The emergency landing of a Qantas Airbus-330 yesterday may not have been the result of Clear Air Turbulence. Investigators are looking at a possible computer malfunction.

Inititial reports from The Australian Air Transport Bureau (ATSB) indicate that a malfunction of the Airbus Flight Control Computer System rather than Clear Air Turbulence may have caused the aircraft to climb and then dive in a what is sometimes referred to as an "uncommanded motion" but in this case the aircraft experienced a porpoise type motion, similar to what Alaskan (sorry Sarah) Flight 261, although the Alaskan flight was a mechanical problem, the motion was similar. The Qantas Flight Crew made a textbook emergency landing at an abandoned military airfield as local people gathered along the abandoned strip to help. The aircraft was at 37,000 feet when it violently pitched it's nose up and climbed 300 feet before violently pitching it's nose towards the ground. An ATSB Official was quoted as saying. "The aircraft departed normal flight and climbed 300 feet, the aircraft did that of its own accord and then whilst the crew were doing the normal actions in response to that not normal situation, the aircraft then pitched down suddenly and quite rapidly." The aircraft's manufactures, Airbus Industries have an investigator en-route to Australia to help with the investigations. Meanwhile, doctors are still trying to determine the full extent of some spinal injuries that passengers and crew sustained during the incident. The aircraft will remain on the ground at the remote airstrip ofExmouth until a full visual inspection of the aircraft is complete. Stay tuned for more news on the investigation.