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The ATSB says it will not investigate a tyre blowout on a Qantas A380 in Singapore over the weekend.
VH-OQH (pictured in Sydney last year) blew out three of its 22 tyres after it was forced to return to Changi Airport due to technical issues shortly after take-off of flight QF1 to London on 7 July. Engineers are now inspecting the A380 before it returns to service.
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“Having gathered further information the ATSB is not investigating this occurrence, as it was assessed as a technical issue appropriately managed by crew,” a spokesperson told Australian Aviation in a statement.
Qantas says customers received accommodation and meal vouchers and were given seats on the next available flights to London.
“On Sunday evening, a flight from Singapore to London returned to Singapore after pilots received an alert about a potential hydraulics issue. Our pilots followed the standard procedures and the aircraft landed normally,” a spokesperson said.
“We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience and would like to thank them for their patience.”
A Qantas A380 pilot told The Australian that the blowout was not a serious safety threat, and that A380s can taxi on as few as nine tyres, which are replaced roughly every 60 to 70 landings and can withstand temperatures as high as 650 degrees.
“The tyres are filled with nitrogen because it’s incombustible and helps prevent a wheel fire,” they said.
“They can withstand a maximum landing speed of 204 kts but they can deflate as a result of a high energy stop in a rejected takeoff situation or a heavy landing.
“Basically they’re replaced every month or so, they’re not like car tyres that last four or five years.”
The Flying Kangaroo currently has 10 A380s in its fleet, though several of them – including VH-OQD, VH-OQK and VH-OQL – are currently in Abu Dhabi for maintenance. VH-OQE and VH-OQF have both been scrapped.
Qantas grounded its entire fleet of 12 A380s during the pandemic, with most sent to the notorious Southern California Logistics Airport, better known as Victorville.
Former CEO Alan Joyce last year confirmed that Qantas will phase out the superjumbo from 2032 onwards, to be replaced by new A350s.
