Qantas says safety scare overblown

Jul 29, 2008, 9:59 GMT

Sydney - Australian airline Qantas confirmed Tuesday that a mechanical fault forced a Melbourne-bound Boeing 737 to return to Adelaide but said talk of a second safety scare was overblown.

The left-side wheel-bay door failed to retract fully on Flight 692 on Monday and the pilot followed standard procedure in returning to Adelaide.

'There was no safety risk at any time,' Qantas spokeswoman Sophia Connolly said.

A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman said the plane could have continued on its journey with no problem but that it was standard procedure when a fault was found for the pilot to land at the nearest airport.

The safety scare follows on from Friday's emergency landing in Manila after a Qantas Boeing 747 blew a gash in its side while flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne.

Australians among the 346 passengers aboard Flight QF30 told of a big bang and then a steep descent as the pilot reduced altitude to adjust to the rapid decompression caused by the hole.

There was speculation that a high-pressure oxygen cylinder had burst and holed the skin of the aircraft. A report from the Manila International Airport Authority said an initial investigation revealed there had been an 'explosive decompression' but did not speculate on the cause.

Since its establishment in 1920, Australia's national carrier has never lost a jet to an accident.