Aviation

John Travolta donates vintage Qantas Boeing 707 plane to NSW aviation museum

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JOHN Travolta has donated his personal vintage Boeing 707 plane to a restoration group in Australia.

The actor said in a statement that the plane will require maintenance before for the trip from his Florida home to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in Albion Park, about 145km from Sydney.
The craft, which the society hopes to keep in the air, was originally in the Qantas fleet, delivered in 1964 and later converted to private use. The actor, a pilot, hopes to be on board when the plane makes it voyage to Australia. The timing of that is uncertain.The qualified pilot and Qantas ambassador said he has fond memories of the plane and is pleased it will continue to fly “well into the future.”
The Grease star said in a statement: “As many of you will know, flying is a passion of mine and I am just so grateful to be fortunate enough to count many hours flying such a beautiful aircraft.
“The aircraft was originally delivered to Qantas Airways in 1964 and was converted for private use after it finished its life with ‘The Flying Kangaroo’.
“I was honoured to have the 707 repainted in the original Qantas colours when I became the ambassador for the airline, and it’s so fitting that many of the volunteers at HARS are retired Qantas employees.”

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”