Experience of Emergency measures

[jb747]

This should be fun.

Macchi on pilots' course...main compass failure on an IMC day.
A-4G. Smoke in coughpit after take off, quick return
A-4G. Oxygen system failure at high level (this might be setting a trend).
747-200. Flap asymmetry on approach to Singapore.
747-400. IGV failure, engine shutdown at top of descent.
767. Multiple bird strikes on departure from Perth. High vibration on one engine. Return.
767. Engine overheat/fire warning on approach to Brisbane.
767. Centre hydraulic system failure on descent to Cairns. Another one at Adelaide.
767. Flap asymmetry on approach to Wellington.
747-400. Depressurisation.
A380. Dual air data computer failure, with law reversion.
A380. Unsafe landing gear.

Numerous go arounds, most for ATC. They really don't count....

Two aborted take offs. A4G with no airspeed indication, and 767 with control issue.

Number of landings equals number of take offs.

 

[p--and--t]

This should be fun.

Number of landings equals number of take offs.

Quote of the day LOL

 

[trooper]

No, not in Australia. Does "Flight Level 140" mean 14000? The whole trip is only about 35 minutes and we're not above 10 000 for the whole trip, but I have taken a few where we have spent much of it about 10000 and some of it above 14000.

Service ceiling of the Twin Otter is 25000 ft.... so no problems with the aircraft. As mentioned supplemental oxygen is required by regulation for LENGTHY stays at altitude.... in MY experience most people don't feel any discomfort during shorter stays at 10 or even 14,000.... We routinely jumped from 14 (very short time above 10) and in Indonesia were jumping from 17000.....but no more than 10 or 15 minutes above 14...no supplemental O2, and no dramas at all.... The regulation about supplemental oxygen are (IMO) both conservative (a good thing!) AND intended for LENGTHY stays at altitude....

As far as emergencies go.... complete engine failures twice...in single engine aircraft. Fortunately we were planning to jump anyway... and did so. Once at an altitude I was not ENTIRELY comfortable going in to free fall at...but I was much LESS interested in staying with the aircraft! LOL
(And of course both those pilots made perfectly good landings )

 

[Captain Halliday]

747-400. Depressurisation.

Sounds like the easiest of the lot!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Question to our pilot contributors or @DJDBNE :

Lae is basically at sea level, so why the need for masks?

Hey Capt, I can take you for a trek over the Owen Stanley if you wish.

 

[jb747]

Re oxygen masks dropping....this was pretty common on some aircraft types. They only sit on the doors, so any solid bump that opens the doors, will drop the masks. Many an FOs landing was know for that (and a few Captains too).

The emergency PAs, like any automated system, can occasionally have a mind of their own. Because of that, many of us would fly with the PA select on so that we could listen to whatever was being said. We'd zone the CSM etc out. PAs from the coughpit override any other PAs, so we could stop an errant automatic one, and tell people to ignore it.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Hey Capt, I can take you for a trek over the Owen Stanley if you wish.

Sure, depending on the aircraft type.

But maybe I wasn’t clear.

I completely understand the need for O2 for the depressurisation over the Owen Stanley. But for this...

2. Bird strike killed one engine on take off from Nazdab airport (Lae), masks down while pilot circled for a landing back at Nazdab.

Lae is basically at sea level, so why the need for masks?

It’s the masks for a return to an airport 274ft AMSL that I don’t get.

 

[drron]

I'm sure it is that peculiar type of aircraft called Shank's pony that is in mind Good Captain.As long as MrsH's knee is better she could come too.

 

[flyer89]

Two aborted take offs. A4G with no airspeed indication, and 767 with control issue.

I assume the A4 rejection was low speed given the problem? What about the 767 abort though?

 

[jb747]

I assume the A4 rejection was low speed given the problem? What about the 767 abort though?

Correct. The A4 would have been at less than 80 knots. The 767 was almost at V1...with only a couple of knots to go. It was quite light weight, so V1/Vr were very close to each other. The problem would have resolved itself if we'd gotten airborne, but we weren't to know that at the time.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I'm sure it is that peculiar type of aircraft called Shank's pony that is in mind Good Captain.As long as MrsH's knee is better she could come too.

Funny you should mention the knee @drron ... I wrote about it just this afternoon... Nordic Skies and Skis

 

[jakeseven7]

I had the joy of being on a Virgin Australia flight that suffered a tail strike on take off a few years back ex Auckland. We all felt it on take off, circles for a bit before returning to AKL. Was honestly a little scary.

 

[juddles]

Have enjoyed (sufferred?) quite a few flights, but never something as dramatic as the O2 thingys deploying.

Was on a 707 going down into Easter Island when the wing was struck by lightning - most pax were screaming. But it really didn't affect the flight.

Short flight in Colombia where they left a door open - return to land in minutes fixed that.

Inability to land due to weather followed by return to takeoff airport - where although nothing was said, as an experienced flyer you felt they glided most of the way back

Quite a few flights where pax identified panels missing from engine cowlings, wings, etc. Again no real stress.

Many of the usual medical diversions, including some dead pax.

many a "go around" - experiences which are relatively harmless, but the effect on the pax is governed by the communication of reasons by the pilot.

But the most memorable experience was an aborted takeoff in a Lufthansa 747 from Frankfurt - essentially we accelerated until almost taking off, then the pilot decided to STOP. I think it was fear of the noises coming from the nose wheel. That experience was incredible. I never actually understood just how hard a plane could brake when they needed to. I was up front and was peppered by all the mobiles, loose hand luggage, etc from the cabins behind. When we came to a stop, all the emergency vehicles surrounded us to put out what subsequently became obvious as all the wheels catching fire. We stayed in the aircraft for several hours while they killed the fires and then changed the wheels. It was about 4 hours before they could drag us off the runway. And quite a few more after before they got us back to a gate. Probably the most memorable thing was that the staff opened the door while we were waiting and you actually saw just how far off the ground you are in a jumbo

But I really think this thread highlights just how such events are unusual, even for frequent flyers.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Short flight in Colombia where they left a door open - return to land in minutes fixed that ....

Skydiving?

But I really think this thread highlights just how such events are unusual, even for frequent flyers.

Totally agree.

 

[Pushka]

Have enjoyed (sufferred?) quite a few flights, but never something as dramatic as the O2 thingys deploying.

Was on a 707 going down into Easter Island when the wing was struck by lightning - most pax were screaming. But it really didn't affect the flight.

Short flight in Colombia where they left a door open - return to land in minutes fixed that.

Inability to land due to weather followed by return to takeoff airport - where although nothing was said, as an experienced flyer you felt they glided most of the way back

Quite a few flights where pax identified panels missing from engine cowlings, wings, etc. Again no real stress.

Many of the usual medical diversions, including some dead pax.

many a "go around" - experiences which are relatively harmless, but the effect on the pax is governed by the communication of reasons by the pilot.....
But I really think this thread highlights just how such events are unusual, even for frequent flyers.

Yes, which means that when the oxygen masks are deployed it’s quite reasonable for people, even AFFers to be worried, and for the media to report it was terrifying because I’m betting for most people it would have been.

 

[Blinky]

I’ve had two. One in the 1970s when I caught a light plane from Tullamarine to Swan Hill (yes, light planes took off there in those days). As it was picking up speed, it had a flat tyre! It shuttered safely to the side of the runway while a replacement tyre was ordered. Held up a runway for hours. The last light plane flight I’ve had (Dash8s are the smallest planes I fly now).

The second about 8 years ago on a VA flight from ADL to MEL. The plane started to circle around Port Phillip Bay multiple times. The captain finally said there were problems with the flaps. He said they would land on the longest runway, the north-south, which he said (and this is word for word) “should give us enough to land safely”. Should!!!!!

Anyway we hit the ground shallow and softly, and kept on rolling past about a dozen fire engines, until finally stopping very near the end of the runway, as everyone applauded.

Strangely there were no news reports of this event.

 

[Quickstatus]

I know no one will care...

My only experience of an emergency was on an EK380 from SIN-MEL in F
As I was lathered up in the F showers the seat belt sign came back on. I had 2 minutes to go on the 5 min shower time.

 

[Blinky]

I know no one will care...

My only experience of an emergency was on an EK380 from SIN-MEL in F
As I was lathered up in the F showers the seat belt sign came back on. I had 2 minutes to go on the 5 min shower time.

The inhumanity! Did you sue?

 

[straitman]

I’ve had two. One in the 1970s when I caught a light plane from Tullamarine to Swan Hill (yes, light planes took off there in those days). As it was picking up speed, it had a flat tyre! It shuttered safely to the side of the runway while a replacement tyre was ordered. Held up a runway for hours. The last light plane flight I’ve had (Dash8s are the smallest planes I fly now).

The second about 8 years ago on a VA flight from ADL to MEL. The plane started to circle around Port Phillip Bay multiple times. The captain finally said there were problems with the flaps. He said they would land on the longest runway, the north-south, which he said (and this is word for word) “should give us enough to land safely”. Should!!!!!

Anyway we hit the ground shallow and softly, and kept on rolling past about a dozen fire engines, until finally stopping very near the end of the runway, as everyone applauded.

Strangely there were no news reports of this event.

From a pilots perspective a flawless landing is almost a non event.

A shallower approach than normal and a higher touch down speed hence the need for the longer runway being available.

 

[QF WP]

Hmmm, I can think of a couple but none were emergencies per se.

Whyalla Air 913 11th May 1996 (WYA/ADL). I'd been to see a client and returning to ADL. I was in 1C (can't remember the aircraft type, but it was bigger than the Piper Navaho [flight 904 crash]) type. It was a stormy start over the Spencer Gulf with moderate turbulence but the pilot vectored us around the worst of the storm after take-off. It got worse when we were back over land (as the pilot commented to me that it was a great night for flying and I told him to turn back around and fly the bloody plane, or words to that effect). I kissed the ADL tarmac (along with some others, particularly those in the back) when de-planing. This is the worst turbulence I have ever encountered and the reason I won't fly in a single engine plane, maybe a twin engine but highly prefer jet engines

Another one (I don't recall date or flight number, but was QF) - I was returning from SYD and we took off after being delayed in our departure after waiting for weather to clear in BNE. We made it to OOL before we entered the holding pattern and you could see the storm when on the east-bound legs (pilot advised BNE was closed). After holding in the pattern for about 45 minutes, the pilot advised we had to return to SYD as they were running low on fuel, much to the groans of the pax. It was bumpy in the holding pattern, but nothing like it would have been flying into that storm. We went back to SYD, and they refueled the plane. No catering on the second leg other than snacks and drinks (thankfully was in J).

I was coming back from the inaugural QF/EK Media Tour of DXB aboard QF2 on 3rd April 2013 (yes, it was NBW otherwise known as QH-OQA) in PE. Coming in to land at SYD, my seatmate (markis10, a former AFF member and Moderator, plus a former ATC at BNE) A little bit of moderation in Dubai. noticed the fire services lined up at the beside the runway. Wasn't until we stopped at the end of the runway and shut down (so we were towed in) that we realised there had been an issue, no announcements at all. Seemed NBW had lost the main hydraulics during the flight and they were operating on the alternate system (with a 3rd redundant system available IIRC). No hydraulics meant they had to hand crank the cargo and luggage doors and we were waiting for about 90 mins to collect luggage.

My most recent one - 24 May 2018 aboard QF521 (BNE/SYD) waiting in the line for take-off and the captain advised there was a crack in the windscreen, so they were returning to the Gate. Our flight made the Qantas HQ IOC board (where I was meant to be, after organising a visit here for a bunch of Flyertalkers). I think a couple here have that photo . We took off 2.5 hours later as I couldn't change to another flight (all were full). So glad it was discovered on the ground and not above FL100.
It really happened: