SYDNEY - A COMPUTER glitch which caused a Qantas plane to plunge into a 200-metre nosedive last week, injuring more than 70 people, was an isolated incident, Australia's transport minister said Wednesday.

Anthony Albanese said the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) was keeping a close eye on the investigation into why the Airbus A330-300 bound from Singapore to Perth unexpectedly pitched downwards on October 7.

But he said the mid-air drama, which saw passengers and crew tossed around the cabin and forced the flight to make an emergency landing in Western Australia, appeared to be a one-off event.

'This appears to be an isolated incident and CASA accepts the manufacturers' recommendations which will ensure these aircraft can continue to operate safely,' Mr Albanese told parliament.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said Tuesday that the incident was likely the result of a computer fault which switched off the jet's autopilot and generated fake data, causing the plane to plunge dramatically.

In the wake of the mishap, Airbus issued urgent instructions to all airlines using its planes on what to do in the very unlikely event that a similar computer fault occurs.

Australian authorities, along with French safety officials and investigators from Qantas, which operates 10 Airbus A330-300s, are further examining the cause of the dramatic plunge.

'As is normally the case in these investigations, Airbus - who are the manufacturers of the plane - are also providing valuable technical assistance,' Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese said he would be guided by advice from CASA and ATSB as to whether further steps needed to be taken.

'The Government will ensure that any necessary safety action is taken,' he said.

Qantas said it would obey any safety directives issued by the manufacturer but had no plans to ground any planes at the moment.

The incident, which resulted in some passengers suffering broken bones and spinal injuries, is the latest in a string of problems involving Qantas planes in recent months.

The most serious was a mid-air blast, caused by an exploding oxygen bottle, which punched a hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne in July. No one was injured in the incident. -- AFP