An Emirates plane flew for 14 hours with a large hole in its side - this expert explains how

A plane that flew for 14 hours with a large hole in its side is a ‘one in a million case’, according to one aviation expert.

Passengers on the Emirates flight from Dubai to Brisbane were shocked to see the damage when they disembarked on Friday 1 July.

The airline says the hole was created when one of the Airbus A380’s 22 tyres burst shortly after take off. No passengers were injured, and flight EK430 was able to complete its journey as planned.

The incident is highly unusual, Dr Johannes Boroh, a former commercial pilot and senior lecturer in aviation studies at London’s Kingston University tells Euronews Travel.

“It’s a one in a million case probably. It’s something that we don't see every day.”

One passenger from the flight, called Patrick, told Australia’s Courier Mail that he heard an alarming noise around 45 minutes into the flight.

“There was a loud bang and I felt it through the floor as well,” he said. “The cabin crew remained calm, stopped the food service and got on the phone and checked the wings, engines.”

On approach to Brisbane Airport, the crew informed air traffic controllers that they would need emergency services on landing, the Aviation Herald - which covers aviation incidents - reports.

It’s the kind of incident to send shivers down the spine of a nervous flier. Some commenters on social media have even questioned why the crew decided to press on after detecting a fault.

But from a pilot’s perspective, Dr Boroh explains, if there are no ‘indications’ showing up on the system then they can’t do much.

The damage occurred to part of the plane’s aerodynamic fairing - the outer panel or ‘skin’ of the aircraft.

“At no point did it have any impact on the fuselage, frame or structure of the aircraft,” Emirates stated.

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