Fed: Qantas plane cancelled as undercarriage collapses

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2000
Fed: Qantas plane cancelled as undercarriage collapses

Qantas has suffered its second major incident in the last seven months after a Boeing
747's undercarriage collapsed on a runway at Rome.

Flight 16 was due to take off from Rome bound for Sydney this morning when the landing
gear collapsed and the engine dropped out as it was moving along the runway.

Sky TV reports fuel leaked across the tarmac and passengers were evacuated from the
aircraft as quickly as possible.

A passenger on the flight, named only as Pat, has told 2UE Radio that the plane was
moving along the runway for five minutes getting to the taxiing off point, while travelling
at about 50kmh.

He says the landing gear collapsed with a loud bang and the engine hit the ground on
the right handside wing.

He says passengers were taken off the aircraft because authorities it might ignite.

The flight has been cancelled and passengers transferred to a hotel.

Today's incident is the second involving a Qantas aircraft in the last seven months.

In September, a Boeing 747 overshot the runway at Bangkok and underwent a $100 million
rebuilding programme.

A spokeswoman for Qantas says the aircraft in today's incident isn't the same as the
one which ran into trouble in Bangkok.

AAP RTV j/dmc

KEYWORD: QANTAS (SYDNEY)

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