CANBERRA, Australia -- A Qantas Airways Ltd. plane involved in a midair incident over the Indian Ocean experienced an irregularity in its onboard computer equipment that left the plane flying "of its own accord," an aviation safety official said Wednesday. Qantas, Australia's largest carrier, said about 75 passengers and crew sustained injuries Tuesday ranging from abrasions to fractures on board the Airbus A330-300 flight to Perth, Australia, from Singapore. Julian Walsh, director of aviation safety at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said an on-board electronic centralized aircraft monitoring system indicated there was "some irregularity with the elevator control system." The aircraft departed from its normal flight at 37,000 feet, climbed 300 feet, "then as the crew were responding, the aircraft pitched down quite suddenly and rapidly," he said. "Certainly, there was a period of time when the aircraft performed of its own accord," Mr. Walsh said.
-- Posted By Breaking News to Break News at 10/08/2008 08:46:00 PM
