SYDNEY, Nov 6, 2008 (AFP) - An elderly couple who say they were injured when a Qantas airlines Airbus nose-dived dramatically mid-flight, hurling passengers around the cabin, are to sue the airline, their lawyer said Thursday.

The Airbus A-330-300 suddenly plunged hundreds of meters (feet) during a flight from Singapore to Perth on October 7 before making an emergency landing in remote northern Australia.

Sri Lankans Sam Samaratunga, 68, and his wife Rani, 62, who were heading to Australia for their son's wedding when the terrifying incident struck, will sue Qantas for compensation for their injuries and suffering, their lawyer said.

"We will ... be seeking substantial compensation from Qantas as the Samaratungas will be impacted from the affects of this incident for the rest of their lives," said lawyer Roger Singh.

He said the couple suffered "serious physical and psychological injuries" in the incident that accident investigators have said was caused by a malfunction in one of the plane's onboard computers that forced it into a nosedive.

In addition to the legal action, Singh said, the pair are also seeking an advance payment from Qantas to help cover their "massive medical expenses."

Rani Samaratunga suffered spinal fractures that will affect her ability to care for her 87-year-old mother in Sri Lanka, while her husband suffered spinal and head injuries as well as memory loss when he was propelled head first into a locker, Singh said in a statement.

Passengers, crew and objects were thrown violently against the ceiling of the aircraft in the terrifying mid-air emergency. More than 70 people required medical treatment after landing.

Airbus issued urgent instructions to all airlines operating its planes on what to do in the unlikely event of a similar computer fault occurring.

Qantas, Australia's national carrier, told AFP it had covered the medical bills and provided "ongoing support" to all passengers on the stricken flight.

"This has included reimbursement of medical expenses, access to counselling services and ex-gratia payments," said Qantas group general manager for customer product and service, Lesley Grant.

"We take our obligations to passengers very seriously and assess each request for assistance or compensation on an individual basis," she said.

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