Gael attended the 2011 International Air Safety Seminar in November where we presented our latest Q-Pulse iPad document viewer and audit management applications. We also had the opportunity to demonstrate a number of the newer Q-Pulse features to delegates at the event including the work we have been doing to integrate Q-Pulse with a number of the industry’s leading Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) vendors.

Attended by myself and Steven Cespedes, we had the great pleasure of listening to Captain Richard de Crespigny recount the day he managed to prevent disaster during a flight from Changi Airport to Sydney.

Just four minutes after take-off, Captain de Crespigny (pictured below) and his team heard two large booms coming from one of the huge A380’s engines, which led to large parts of the left wing being ripped off, punctured fuel and hydraulic lines and partially disabled electronic systems due to large parts of the engines turbine discs flying out from the disintegrating engine casing. What followed next was a demonstration of years of experience and teamwork, being calm in the face of almost certain disaster.

The flight crew quickly assessed the situation and created a checklist to understand what they still had working, and how best to return the aircraft back to Changi Airport.

Meanwhile, the cabin crew had to deal with growing concern amongst passengers who had witnessed the impact from when the engine first let go and who could now see the flames hear the alarms in the cabin that the cabin manager was trying to manage.

After successfully landing the aircraft at Changi, the crew and passengers then had to wait for two hours until all the fuel that was spilling out was cleaned up.

Alongside this, an engine that they were unable to initially close down had to be disabled. Only then could they all leave the aircraft and wipe the sweat and tears from their faces.

Due to their skills, teamwork, and calmness under pressure, the crew of the Qantas flight were awarded a Professionalism Award from the Flight Safety Foundation during the IASS conference.