Avalon 2013 hosts QF32 case study seminar

Added by on February 12, 2013

Avalon2013 says it will break new ground on Tuesday 26 February when it hosts a high-level, two‐ hour seminar on one of the key lessons of Qantas Flight 32. Among the speakers will be the Qantas Check & Training Captain who was on the flight deck that eventful day.

QF32 was the flight in which an uncontained engine failure severely damaged an A380 shortly after takeoff from Singapore in November 2010.

The emergency called for the highest standards of professionalism, technical expertise as well as judgement from the crew of the aircraft, the airline, and the air traffic management and emergency services personnel on the ground in Singapore and Australia.

Additionally, a firestorm of speculation and misinformation erupted across social media networks as well as the mainstream media and business channels before QF32 had even landed safely back in Singapore.

This highlighted the need for coherent crisis management by the airline, ground authorities and regulators, both at the time and subsequently, in order to place the facts in the public domain and counter misapprehensions and misinformation.

“I believe the aviation community throughout our region, as well as the general public, can learn a great deal from the QF32 incident,” said Mr Ian Honnery, CEO of AVALON2013 – the Australian International Air Show and Aerospace and Defence Exposition. “One of the important things we need to reinforce is the importance of hard information to counter rumours and speculation, especially when dealing with issues of public confidence.”

Titled “An Effective Crisis Response – QF32 Case Study”, the seminar is hosted by AVALON2013 air show organiser Aviation Development Australia Limited (ADAL) in partnership with Qantas Airways and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

The seminar will be chaired by former Qantas Chief Pilot (and now ADAL Board member) Captain Chris Manning, FRAeS.

Speakers will include Qantas Check & Training Captain David Evans, who was on the flight deck as the QF32 drama unfolded, Ms Roz Wheatley, who is Qantas’s Manager, Group Emergency Response, and ATSB Chief Commissioner Mr Martin Dolan.

“We’re delighted that ADAL can make a contribution to the industry by hosting such a seminar at AVALON2013,” said Mr Honnery. “This is the perfect time and place. We’ve got the entire aviation industry here – airlines, manufacturers and regulators, and a huge audience of Australian and overseas industry professionals who can contribute to the debate both here and across our region.”

This seminar will begin at 2.00pm in the main Auditorium at Avalon2013.

Avalon 2013 runs between February 26 and March 3 2013 in Geelong, Australia.