In 2010, what began as a routine long-haul flight from Singapore to Sydney came within a knife-edge of becoming one of the world’s worst ever air disasters.

When a sudden mid-air explosion shattered engine no. 2 of the Qantas A380 – the largest and most advanced passenger plane ever built – shrapnel ripped through the wing and fuselage creating chaos as it destroyed vital flight systems. In other hands, the plane might have been lost with all 466 people on board, but a supremely experienced flight crew, led by Captain Richard De Crespigny, managed to safely land it after hours of nerve-wracking effort. This is the riveting, blow-by-blow story of QF32, and how a mortally wounded plane was saved.

Richard De Crespigny

Melbourne born and educated got his first taste of a future flying career as a fourteen year old when his father took his on a tour of the RAAD Academy at Point Cook in Victoria.

In 1975, aged seventeen, he joined the RAAF. One year later, he started flying. During his eleven years with the RAAF, he was seconded as Aide-de-Camp to two Australian Governors-General – Sir Zelman Cowen and Sir Ninian Stephen. Richard remained with the RAAF until 1986 when he joined Qantas.

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