Description

On 15 April 2007, a Boeing 747-400 operated by Qantas AW on a scheduled passenger flight from Singapore to Sydney was in the final stages of a daylight approach to land on Runway 16R at Sydney when at about 100 ft agl it encountered a significant and rapid change in wind velocity. The aircraft touched down heavily and the windshear warning sounded in the cockpit. The First Officer acting as PM carried out the prescribed windshear escape manoeuvre and subsequently made a second uneventful approach and landing. Two relief pilots were present on the flight deck during the occurrence. There were no injuries to passengers or crew and although some cabin panels fell down they were able to be re-fitted. The required heavy landing inspection subsequently confirmed that there was no aircraft structural damage.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Australian Transport Safety Board who noted that at the time of the event, the airport had been under the influence a line of high-based thunderstorms associated with light, intermittent rain. It was concluded that “the aircraft was influenced by outflow descending from a high-based storm cell that developed into a microburst.”