Qantas jet lands with gaping hole in fuselage - USATODAY.com

Passengers are seen amidst oxygen masks dropped from overhead panels on the Quantas flight en route to Australia from London that made an emergency stop in Manila. MANILA (AP) — A hole the size of a small car in the underside of a Qantas jumbo jet carrying 346 passengers forced the pilot to make an emergency landing Friday after a rapid descent over the South China Sea. The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet when a loud bang rattled the plane. Video shot by a passenger shows people sitting with their oxygen masks on as the jet descended quickly to 10,000 feet. Applause erupted as the plane touched down safely. There were no injuries, but some passengers vomited after disembarking, said Octavio Lina, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations. Aviation expert Chris Yates told the British... [read full story]