Emirates Flight Flew 14 Hours With A Hole In The Fuselage

A gaping hole was discovered in the side of the plane when it arrived in Brisbane. Picture: Twitter

After hearing a loud blast immediately after take-off, passengers on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Brisbane characterised the experience as “terrifying.”

When the Airbus A380 arrived at Brisbane International Airport on July 1 following a 14-hour journey, a large hole in its side, just beneath the wing, was discovered.

Passengers on the EK40 flight were surprised that the plane had gone so far with a hole in its fuselage.

The crew reportedly informed air traffic control that they feared a tyre had blown before take-off and requested that emergency personnel be on standby for the landing.

A passenger on the aeroplane rushed to Twitter to explain what had transpired, initially calling it “absolutely horrifying.”

“Cabin crew understood something major had happened – were instantly in communication with the cockpit,” tweeted Professor Andrew Morris.

“They quickly resumed normal operations.” Their calm demeanour was encouraging; they understood it wasn’t a crisis.”

Patrick, another passenger, sitting near the flight hole, claimed to have heard a loud blast before feeling the penetration through the floor.

“The cabin staff remained cool, halted meal service, and called in to check the wings and engines,” he told the Courier-Mail.

Another passenger claimed to have heard a huge blast 45 minutes into the trip but that the rest of the journey, including landing, seemed “great” and that he was startled to find the hole when he arrived in Brisbane.

The jet could not take off for its return voyage and stay on the Brisbane tarmac for approximately 17 hours after landing.

According to an Emirates spokeswoman, the aircraft had “a mechanical fault.”

“During the cruise, one of the aircraft’s 22 tyres ruptured, causing damage to a small section of the aerodynamic fairing, which is an outer panel or the skin of the aircraft,” added the spokesman.

“At no point did it affect the aircraft’s fuselage, frame, or construction.”

According to the spokeswoman, the plane landed safely in Brisbane, and all passengers departed on time.

“Engineers, Airbus, and all appropriate authorities have replaced, checked, and cleared the fairing.” Our passengers and crew’s safety has always been our top priority.”