The disaster that wasn't

[reader]

A few days ago at JFK airport in New York, what's known as a runway incursion occurred involving a 777 and and a 737. If an air traffic controller hadn't intervened, a high-speed collision appeared inevitable.

 

Here's the audio between air traffic controllers and the pilots.

 

Because the 737 had to make an emergency take off rejection, it could not continue its flight until it underwent detailed checks by mechanics. The 777 did not and was was permitted to continue to London. The 737 was traveling at 115 mph when it braked. It took 661 feet to come to a stop.

It looks like the 777 crew may have mistook runway 4L for runway 31L.

Complete details at

https://airlinegeeks.com/2023/01/16/audio-authorities-investigating-near-miss-at-jfk/

[vinapu]

Holly smoke , that would had been really nasty Friday the 13th

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, reader said:

Because the 737 had to make an emergency take off rejection, it could not continue its flight until it underwent detailed checks by mechanics.

15 hour delay....to Dominican Republic.

A/A pilot will have splaining to do 😬

[PeterRS]

I am sure JFK is not the only airport with near misses on the ground. But I was once on an Air France 747 from Paris which had to abort its landing because another aircraft had suddenly encroached on the designated arrival runway.

Perhaps the best-known incident was about 11 years ago when an Air France A380 hit a smaller Delta Connection aircraft's tail and spun it around. How fire was avoided - thank the Lord!

 

[PeterRS]

One disaster that was is the crash of the Yeti Air turbo prop about to land at Pokhara in Nepal on Sunday. The airport was quite new but I cannot believe that was a major contribution to the crash. We'll find out in due course.

I have flown that route twice - in November 1980 and November 2009. Kathmandhu Domestic ariport must be the most inefficient and disgusting in the world. Both flights were due to take off around 1:00 pm. The first did, but it was cloudy all the way. That struck me as odd because Nepalese Airlines have to fly by visiual flight rules. If all the pilots saw was cloud, how did they make it safely to Pokhara?

The 2009 flight almost never took off. The terminal smelled of urine, all flights were delayed and all monitors were broken. Flights were announced verbally by a man with a voice few could hear. My flight was delayed and delayed to the point where we were informed if the incoming plane did not arrive by round 4:30 pm, we would not be able to take off as it would be too dark to land at Pokhara. Eventually just before 4:30 we were asked to board. We were in the air about 15 minutes later. This time it was a bright sunny late afternoon and I was staggered at how close the aircraft flew to the mountains on the right. We landed with some light still guiding the pilot down. I asume the pilot of my 1980 flight had a good idea how close he was to those mountains.

Pokhara when I first visited was a small village with one main pot-holed road lined with guest houses. But getting up at 5:00 am for the hour long trek up the hill to watch dawn break over the Himalayas resulted in one of the greatest sights I have seen anywhere. As dawn broke, the clouds I assumed I had seen in the sky were in fact mountain peaks. The Annapurna range is literally just across a valley and boasts one peak over 8,000 meters, 13 over 7,000 meters and 16 over 6,000 meters. I think that experience was as close as I have ever come to a religious experience. When I returned, Pokhara had become a city of over half a million and packed with tourists. The hour's morning trek was just a 7 minute car ride to the look-out point at Sarangot. This had well over 100 young Japanese and Koreans waiting for dawn to break. Unfortunately, trailing clouds from a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal meant the view was not as crystal clear as it had been 29 years earlier. But still utterly awesome.

[reader]

A passenger in the turbo-prop involved in the tragic Nepal crash live streamed the final moments of the flight. I never recall viewing video of a crash of a commercial aircraft from within the cabin. I've often heard the disclaimer: "This may difficult for some viewers to watch." In this case, it certainly applies to the second video below.

 

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Machhapuchhare, arguably most beautiful mountain in the world 

 

 

 

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, reader said:

 I've often heard the disclaimer: "This may difficult for some viewers to watch." In this case, it certainly applies to the second video below.

 

it certainly is , definitely not bed time viewing stuff

[vinapu]

Airport in Lukla, Nepal in Everest area is only one in the world with flight guaranteed even if aircraft will not take off. Runway is on the slope ending at very deep valley. In such a case flight will be very short but still flight it will be

 

[PeterRS]

That first video showing the aircraft banking steeply to the left is remarkably similar to another turbo prop crash in Taipei 7 years ago. This was the second deadly crash by turbo props run by Trans Asia Airways. Three years earlier it had started international services to Bangkok and Chiang Mai as V Air using I believe an A 320. I should know as I took that flight several times.

The accident enquiry found that shortly after take off there was an emergency warning in the cockpit indicating that one of the engines was flaming out. In such a circumstance the engine should be shut down and the propeller blades automatically go into a position that will not affect the speed of the aircraft. The captain decided to turn around and return to Songshan airport (the one on the west side of Taipei). He orders the co-pilot to shut down the No. 1 engine - the one under the right wing. The aircraft quickly loses speed and stall warnings sound in the cockpit. The co-pilot tells the captain that there is now a flame out on both engines and asks how this is possible. Realising that he has shut down the wrong engine, the captain orders the left engine to be restarted. The plane banks steeply to the left and crashes. Even if the captain had ordered the right engine restarted, it is unlikely sufficient power would have resulted to keep the aircraft in the air as it was far too low to the ground.

Many errors on behalf of Trans Asia maintenance, the captain's preflight inspection and faulty coordination between the pilots were discovered. Soon Trans Asia ceased all operations.