Source: AFP Author: 06/23/2009
Subject Concerned: Airlines
Seven people, including three children, were hurt when a Qantas Airbus A330 hit severe turbulence during a flight from Hong Kong to Perth on June 22.
Passengers likened the experience, which lasted 15-20 seconds, to plunging suddenly into a hole, with passengers, crew and loose items flying into the air, according to a report in The Australian newspaper.
The aircraft, with 206 passengers and 13 crew, landed safely in Perth.
"It appeared like we'd just dropped out of a 30-story building," uninjured passenger Keith Huxtable said. "It was dark ... people screamed."
Another passenger described hearing a loud bang before a sudden drop in altitude sent people flying.
Passenger Michelle Knight said the crew told her the aircraft had plunged 30 meters.
The incident comes just 11 days after a cockpit blaze forced a Jetstar A330 to make an emergency landing, and follows the June 1 Air France disaster when 228 died in a mysterious accident involving the same type of aircraft.
Last October, a Qantas A330 went into two steep dives over Western Australia, causing several serious injuries and forcing an emergency landing.
Qantas, which also operates budget airline Jetstar, dismissed any links between June 22's incident and previous ones.
It said an investigation has been launched.