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| Date: | Tuesday 6 June 2023 |
| Time: | 21:00 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 717-231 |
| Owner/operator: | Qantas |
| Registration: | VH-NXM |
| MSN: | 55094/5084 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 59 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | near Hobart Airport, TAS (HBA) -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY) |
| Hobart Airport, TAS (HBA/YMHB) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Qantas flight QF1541, a Boeing 717-231, was passing 3,000 ft on approach to Hobart (HBA) when the captain noticed a chlorine-type smell and shortly after assessed themselves as unable to continue as pilot flying due to the onset of hypoxia-like symptoms. The first officer took over as pilot flying. The first officer later reported that they started to feel the onset of deleterious symptoms on short final. The aircraft landed without further incident.
Contributing factors
• The flight crew noticed a chlorine odour during the approach to Hobart Airport. Shortly after, the captain experienced the rapid onset of symptoms of incapacitation, resulting in them handing over pilot flying duties to the first officer.
• Just before landing, the first officer experienced symptoms of incapacitation, specifically slowed reaction time. Due to the impending landing, and perceived difficulties of donning the mask, supplemental oxygen was considered but not used. A go-around was also considered but rejected following an assessment that continuing the landing was the safest course of action.
• National Jet Systems’ cabin air quality events procedure focused on the recording/reporting of odours, post-flight care of crew and maintenance actions. However, it did not consider the possible application of the smoke/fumes procedure, or incapacitation procedure. As a result, there was an increased risk of flight crew being adversely affected by such an event during a critical stage of flight. (Safety issue)
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-026
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 4 March 2010 | VH-NXM | QantasLink, opb National Jet Systems | 0 | Ayers Rock, NT | |
non |
| Cabin safety event | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jun-2023 06:58 | harro | Added |
| 30-Jun-2023 06:59 | harro | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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