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Nothing like Landing from 37,000 feet... REVISED
retroxler58
Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
Please see my recent post near the bottom.
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In less than 3 Minutes!
Tuesday evening I and two colleagues were on American Airlines flight AA1277 bound for Charlotte out of Chicago.
About twenty or thirty minutes into the flight the stewardesses were serving beverages when the pilot came over the loud speaker...
"Ladies and Gentlemen we have declared an in-flight emergency, please stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened."
"Stewardesses, please ready the cabin for an emergency landing."
Boy did they clear the aisles damn quick and grabbed ALL beverages that had been issued to that point... ALL of 'em.
A few moments later the pilot came back on and explained there was a mechanical issue with the fuel burn mixture going to the port engine.
And that we were diverting to Indianapolis airport for landing in a couple of minutes.
Couple of minutes !??? Last time I checked, we always performed a controled glide into a landing.
We didn't FALL into a landing!!!
Another minute or more and I was seeing street lights and cars coming up QUICK.
Within a about 45 seconds or more we were over the end of the runway and we could see the crash trucks lined up...
With lights just a flashing.
We touched down in just under a total of three minutes from time the pilot first came on the loud speaker.
We came to an even quicker stop and stayed on the runway for what seemed about 10 minutes.
Then taxied to an awaiting concourse gate...
NO OTHER Airplanes were on that concourse either.
Another few minutes and we see a mechanic come on board and speak with the pilot.
We overheard him tell the pilot...
"There's no flights out of here before 5:30am... And this plane ain't going anywhere."
My colleagues and I looked at each other and exchanged a few "Oh poops...".
Then the lead stewardess came over the loud speaker...
"If any passenger would prefer to disembark from the aircraft at this time and complete their travel plans here in Indianapolis, they may do so at this time."
We looked at each other for just a few seconds and said... "Screw it, let's go."
Fortunately we had all three only brought carry-on bags and we were up and off the plane.
We grabbed a car and drove about an hour and a half south out of Indianapolis and got some rooms.
We then drove the remaining 500 or so miles home.
This probably wouldn't have hit the news since no-one died and damage was essentially nil had it not been for the fact that one of the Charlotte Panther players was on board in first class.
They did get the issue resolved and the plane took off and landed in Charlotte safely about 4 hours late.
Here's a LINK to the "News" article... LINK
One of the passengers behind me took the video footage you see here out the window.
=========================================
In less than 3 Minutes!
Tuesday evening I and two colleagues were on American Airlines flight AA1277 bound for Charlotte out of Chicago.
About twenty or thirty minutes into the flight the stewardesses were serving beverages when the pilot came over the loud speaker...
"Ladies and Gentlemen we have declared an in-flight emergency, please stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened."
"Stewardesses, please ready the cabin for an emergency landing."
Boy did they clear the aisles damn quick and grabbed ALL beverages that had been issued to that point... ALL of 'em.
A few moments later the pilot came back on and explained there was a mechanical issue with the fuel burn mixture going to the port engine.
And that we were diverting to Indianapolis airport for landing in a couple of minutes.
Couple of minutes !??? Last time I checked, we always performed a controled glide into a landing.
We didn't FALL into a landing!!!
Another minute or more and I was seeing street lights and cars coming up QUICK.
Within a about 45 seconds or more we were over the end of the runway and we could see the crash trucks lined up...
With lights just a flashing.
We touched down in just under a total of three minutes from time the pilot first came on the loud speaker.
We came to an even quicker stop and stayed on the runway for what seemed about 10 minutes.
Then taxied to an awaiting concourse gate...
NO OTHER Airplanes were on that concourse either.
Another few minutes and we see a mechanic come on board and speak with the pilot.
We overheard him tell the pilot...
"There's no flights out of here before 5:30am... And this plane ain't going anywhere."
My colleagues and I looked at each other and exchanged a few "Oh poops...".
Then the lead stewardess came over the loud speaker...
"If any passenger would prefer to disembark from the aircraft at this time and complete their travel plans here in Indianapolis, they may do so at this time."
We looked at each other for just a few seconds and said... "Screw it, let's go."
Fortunately we had all three only brought carry-on bags and we were up and off the plane.
We grabbed a car and drove about an hour and a half south out of Indianapolis and got some rooms.
We then drove the remaining 500 or so miles home.
This probably wouldn't have hit the news since no-one died and damage was essentially nil had it not been for the fact that one of the Charlotte Panther players was on board in first class.
They did get the issue resolved and the plane took off and landed in Charlotte safely about 4 hours late.
Here's a LINK to the "News" article... LINK
One of the passengers behind me took the video footage you see here out the window.
Comments
We FELL out of the sky, literally.
The crew was going about their business as if this occured often... Of which I hope it doesn't.
But, they were as cool as cucumbers.
The only thing I thought out of the ordinary was the rate of descent...
We FELL out of the sky, literally.
The crew was going about their business as if this occured often... Of which I hope it doesn't.
But, they were as cool as cucumbers.
On American Scarelines I think they get more practice than the other carriers. I've been diverted on them more than a few times, only one quick descent.
But any landing you walk away from is a good one!
This was a Boeing 737-800 and I think it was the lower capacity seat arrangement in that there were a larger number of "Choice" seats available than the the higher capacity version.
...But any landing you walk away from is a good one!
Amen to that...
Ascending is no problem as the pressure can get out. Decending however, especially that rapidly, can burst your drums and make you bleed, not to mention the pain from hell.
Wow...a 13,000fpm descent??!!! [:0]
I'll bet this got some people's attention!!
FIRE LIGHT
MASTER WARNING
Since the crew can't see the engine from the cockpit, they had no way to know if they actually had a fire. If they were practically over the neatest divert field, they'd want to perform a very quick spiraling descent to get there.
Once down, the procedure would be to stop and let the fire crews rush in and check things out. Part of the emergency checklist when the light came on would have been to shut down that engine, close the fuel supply valves and (possibly) pull the fire extinguisher for the engine. If there had been a real fire, it would have been out by the time you got down. If not, you'd have done a slide egress amid a cloud of foam.
As in many things, a little excitement goes a long way, eh brother?
But I bet There Was a Good Bit Of Pucker Factor Hapnin'
Glad All was Ok
Woody
Wow...a 13,000fpm descent??!!! [:0]
I'll bet this got some people's attention!!
It got OUR attention...
I just checked and Indianapolis airport is at 797 feet...
So not quite 13,000 fpm. But pretty damn near it.
Something doesn't seem exactly right, maybe things happened a little slower than you think. That steep of descent by the crew would be a emergency depressurization problem and if that happened you would have known it.
I didn't check my watch... But, when the nose goes down and the ground is coming up pretty damn fast...
You ain't gliding anymore... You more like diving.
I'm not one to exaggerate issues, so the minutes from when the pilot notified us of what was happening until we landed weren't longer than three minutes... "MAYBE" three and a half. But certainly not four minutes.
Yet, I'm no knuckle head either and realize that three or even four minutes ain't enough time to descend 37,000 feet either. I knew we were coming down fast, but not THAT fast. Stuff would have been elevating into the cabin air like the astronauts training videos I've seen when they're in "free fall" to simulate zero gravity.
The only explanation I can offer is... "Notifying passengers of an impending event is plumb near the bottom of the flight check list."
We must have been descending for at least 10 or even 12 minutes before the pilot told us what was happening. At least that's my rational.
I know im not crazy and didn't imagine the sequence of events or time line. Any of you pilot types care to make any comments? Thanks.
Or as I taught my student jet jockies: FLY THE F...ING PLANE. THEN WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
I think you pegged it. The rules of flight IN ABSOLUTE ORDER are: Aviate, Navigate, and only then Communicate.
Or as I taught my student jet jockies: FLY THE F...ING PLANE. THEN WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.
It seems your priorities are in order....especially if I am a passenger. [;)]
I was on an airplane bound for Rota Spain from New York City. We had an emergency about two hours out of New York and had to turn around. When the stewardesses panicked I got scared. The pilot hasn't made an announcement yet.
Flying Tigers, James?
Brad Steele
quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
I was on an airplane bound for Rota Spain from New York City. We had an emergency about two hours out of New York and had to turn around. When the stewardesses panicked I got scared. The pilot hasn't made an announcement yet.
Flying Tigers, James?
I think it was a bit later than that Don...lol
quote:Originally posted by Don McManus
quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
I was on an airplane bound for Rota Spain from New York City. We had an emergency about two hours out of New York and had to turn around. When the stewardesses panicked I got scared. The pilot hasn't made an announcement yet.
Flying Tigers, James?
I think it was a bit later than that Don...lol
Flying Tigers was a Charter Airlines the Military used quite a bit.
Flew from Baltimore to Crete with a stop in Marseilles, IIRC, on a Flying Tigers DC-8 in the late 70s. Plane had seen its better days.
Pilot actually touched a wingtip on landing in Marseilles. I assume they inspected it during the refueling stop, but whatever they found did not seem to delay our departure.
Brad Steele
I flew on Air America....[:o)]
I
I seen a movie once about those guys... They were a bit... WILD.
I'm once again airborne and "Communicating" via 'GoGoFlight'.
I'm currently at 32000 feet flying west to LAX from Charlotte.
Let's 'assume' that the guy up front in the left seat follows Rocky Raab's priority list!!![:D]
It takes a few drinks to get me on a plane.
You're a brave man, Rob!
It takes a few drinks to get me on a plane.
I'm sipping some fine bourbon as type. [:p]
I had all the engines flame out on take off on a 727 (or DC9, it's been years). I have not flown in 25 years.
THAT would be a butt-pucker for sure! [:0]
Safe travels![;)]