The FR24 appreciation thread

[Captain Halliday]

Some sort of issue on QF1871 TSV-BNE

The descent indicates it could be pressurisation.



Same flight number had an issue in June at almost the same point in the flight.

Different airframe in that occasion.

Issue on QF1871 TSV-BNE

Possibly pressurisation given the descent.
View attachment 399154

 

[mysticgreg]

As someone catching an Embraer from MEL to TSV and back this week... yay? :|

 

[VPS]

As someone catching an Embraer from MEL to TSV and back this week... yay? :|

Welcome to AFF - took a while for your first post

 

[jb747]

Some sort of issue on QF1871 TSV-BNE

The descent indicates it could be pressurisation.

Just because they’re descending rapidly doesn’t necessarily equate to depressurisation. As a general rule, I’d look for a level off at 10,000’ for a depressurisation. And, I certainly don’t see much reason to be tootling along at 7,000’, down amongst the light aircraft brigade.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Just because they’re descending rapidly doesn’t necessarily equate to depressurisation.

True. Hence "could be".

But in this case it was, as confirmed by "a Qantas spokeswoman".

Passengers recall 'scary' moment Qantas flight descended 6400m in six minutes

Passengers have recalled the moment their Qantas flight from Townsville to Brisbane dropped thousands of me...

www.9news.com.au

I certainly don’t see much reason to be tootling along at 7,000’, down amongst the light aircraft brigade.

What operational reasons might there be for going to 7,000' for a pressurisation issue?

 

[jb747]

But in this case it was, as confirmed by "a Qantas spokeswoman".

The quotation marks are probably appropriate. Most of the spokespeople struggle to understand that the company operates aircraft.

There are depressurisations and pressurisation issues, and they're quite different animals. Basically though, you either need a hole for any air to escape, an issue with a pressurisation controller causing the outflow valve to open, or a pack problem meaning that no air is coming in.

QF 30 is an example of the first, and in the absence of images of a holy Alliance aircraft, I'll assume it was intact. Also notable is that in the event of this sort of hole, you cannot use a maximum rate descent, simply because the structure may not be able to handle it. The Alliance descent is extremely rapid, ergo, nothing structural.

An issue with the pressurisation controller will result in either an alternate form of operation or a reversion to manual operation. Manual is a PITA, and really tends to take the pilot doing it (generally the FO) right out of the loop. I've not actually heard of a controller fully opening without being commanded to do so, but it's pretty easy to make an error in this mode. If the aircraft dispatched in this mode (there might be an MEL), then selection of a lower than usual cruise height might also be advisable.

I don't know anything much about the aircraft concerned, but I'd expect it to have two packs, with one running off each engine. There would definitely be MEL relief available for an inoperative pack. This MEL may also impose a limit altitude around FL290. The loss of both packs would result in the cabin pressure bleeding down. It's not super rapid, and a prompt descent could stop the cabin rising enough to cause the deployment of the masks. My guess (based on bugger all) is that the event was something along these lines.

What operational reasons might there be for going to 7,000' for a pressurisation issue?

None really. They had a huge rate of descent, and I think they simply overshot the level off.

 

[mysticgreg]

Welcome to AFF - took a while for your first post

Thanks! Yeah I definitely lurked for a while. Time to be more active!

 

[Captain Halliday]

Storms causing some fun in BNE again this evening. VA782's just gone around.

Of course, the go-around could be for totally different reasons.

 

[Brissy1]

Storms causing some fun in BNE again this evening. VA782's just gone around.

Of course, the go-around could be for totally different reasons.

View attachment 412035

and very scrappy holding pattern; kids today, so messy.

 

[Captain Halliday]

and very scrappy holding pattern; kids today, so messy.

That's not the worst one...

 

[Captain Halliday]

Cracker storm in BNE tonight.

Plenty of racetracks being flown, but a couple of other more funky tracks:

 

[gaz0303]

I don’t think I’ve experienced such circular holding patterns like that.

 

[Captain Halliday]

There’s four in the pattern above OOL.

19,000
20,000
21,000 and
22,000 feet respectively.

 

[jb747]

I don’t think I’ve experienced such circular holding patterns like that.

It's not a holding pattern, per se. The fact that it doesn't hold over one position, but drifts downwind tells you that it's being done manually, by simply dragging the heading controller around. An FMC controlled pattern will always anchor to one spot. You can't actually program an orbit (holding) into the FMC...but you could do one with a .1 min leg...so 6 seconds is the shortest time the FMCs will accept. It was never really useful, because if ATC wanted an orbit, that's what they asked for. But, it made for a good (albeit useless) quiz question.

 

[Brissy1]

There’s four in the pattern above OOL.

19,000
20,000
21,000 and
22,000 feet respectively.

View attachment 413453

Nice. Neat. (And if you can't be neat laterally, due moving storms, be neat vertically)

 

[Captain Halliday]

Just had something go over out place REALLY low.

I went out side and it made a second pass.

My reaction “wow #%¥#… that thing is below 200 feet.”

FR24 showing it between 175ft and as slow as 50feet at times.

I’m not buying 0 feet on the second pass:

 

[gaz0303]

Just had something go over out place REALLY low.

I went out side and it made a second pass.

My reaction “wow #%¥#… that thing is below 200 feet.”

FR24 showing it between 175ft and as slow as 50feet at times.

I’m not buying 0 feet on the second pass:
View attachment 413879

The recent flight history for that aircraft is crazy…Link trainee pilots getting their hours?

 

[Captain Halliday]

The recent flight history for that aircraft is crazy…Link trainee pilots getting their hours?

The low passes over RWY19L and 19R makes me think it was some sort of calibration flight.

But that doesn’t explain being below 200 feet over suburban areas nowhere near the airfield.

 

[ayebee]

Etihad arrival at LHR today. ADS-B out by about 3km.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Anyone know what’s going on with the Qatar A380 A7-APC?

It operated QR908 DOH-SYD on Saturday but flew a missed approach at SYD and diverted to BNE.

Since Saturday it’s been shuttling back and forth between BNE and SYD.

In theory it’s operating SYD to CMB tonight.