Richard de Crespigny AM

Richard de Crespigny AM is a former Royal Australian Air Force officer, one of Qantas’ most senior A380 captains, bestselling author, and one of Australia’s most respected voices on leadership under pressure, crisis management, and teamwork in complex, high-risk environments.

Richard’s aviation journey began at age 14, following a formative visit to the RAAF Academy at Point Cook, where he first glimpsed the discipline, professionalism, and precision of military aviation. Determined to follow that path, he joined the RAAF in 1975 at just 17 years of age, beginning his flying career the following year. Over 11 years of military service, he developed exceptional operational and leadership skills and was seconded as Aide-de-Camp to two Governors-General of Australia, Sir Zelman Cowan and Sir Ninian Stephen.

In 1986, Richard joined Qantas, converting to the Boeing 747, and later becoming one of the airline’s most experienced long-haul captains. In 2008, he converted to command of the Airbus A380, the world’s largest and most technologically advanced commercial aircraft.

On 4 November 2010, while operating Flight QF32 from Singapore to Sydney, Richard and his crew faced an unprecedented aviation crisis when one of the aircraft’s four engines catastrophically failed shortly after departure. The explosion caused extensive and complex systems damage, creating a scenario never previously encountered in commercial aviation.

For more than two hours, Richard led the flight deck and cabin crew through a highly complex emergency, stabilising the aircraft, managing cascading failures, coordinating teamwork under extreme pressure, and maintaining calm among 440 passengers. After returning to Singapore and landing an overweight aircraft, further dangers emerged, including fuel leaks near overheated brakes and an engine that would not shut down. Passengers remained onboard for an additional two hours before safely disembarking.

The successful outcome of QF32 stands as a defining case study in human factors, leadership, decision-making, systems thinking, and multinational teamwork, drawing on years of elite training, experience, and disciplined collaboration. The incident permanently altered Richard’s life and career.

Richard’s autobiography, QF32, which recounts the incident in gripping detail, became a national bestseller and won the 2013 Australian Book Industry Award for Best Non-Fiction, as well as the Australian Independent Booksellers Award for Best Non-Fiction.

In recognition of his service, Richard was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2016 Australia Day Honours, for significant service to the aviation industry—nationally and internationally—particularly in the areas of flight safety and community contribution.

Today, Richard de Crespigny is one of Australia’s most sought-after corporate and keynote speakers, regularly presenting to multinational organisations, Fortune 500 companies, government departments, defence agencies, and safety and investigation bodies. His presentations translate the lessons of QF32 into powerful insights on leading through uncertainty, managing risk, effective communication, and high-performance teamwork in complex global organisations.