Getting farther off topic, but I guess air crashes involve work done to metal!
Posted by
Jon Elson
on 2000-10-03 17:52:28 UTC
Steve Roberts wrote:
calculations
in metric, as this was Air Canada's first metric aircraft, but just as
much to
having to fly a long route in a brand-new aircraft (not just a new
plane,
but a new TYPE of aircraft for them) with a complete lack of fuel
instruments.
No fuel flowmeters, no fuel quantity gauges, etc. The crew almost
decided to
cancel the flight, as the combination of new plane, new measurement
systems
and no gauges was just begging for something to go wrong, but they
decided that
they could 'stick' the tanks, do the conversions, and be safe. As soon
as they
got to cruising altitude, they noticed they were exceeding the computed
cruising
speed for this air density and weight, and made the quick (and correct)
assumption
that they must be a lot lighter than they expected to be. There was one
really
obvious way they could have ended up too light.... So, they called ATC
and
explained tha they THOUGHT they might be very low on fuel, and as they
were explaining how this might have happened, the first engine alarmed a
low fuel pressure condition, followed almost immediately by shutdown of
one, then two engines. OOPS! Then, all the pretty cockpit displays
blank
out, and it gets REAL quiet up there!
Whew, I wouldn't want to trade places with those guys at that time, for
sure!
After executing a power off landing (nice that they had a ram air
turbine to
power the controls) the nose gear collapsed, and the crew had to use
fire
axes and similar emergency equipment to break apart a nose battery box
that had caught fire and throw the burning insulation overboard. There
were no serious injuries, as I remember, the collapse of the nose gear
caused a few bumps and scrapes, and the aircraft was harder to
evacuate with the tail way up in the air.
Jon
> And that's why several aircraft fell out of the sky! one here inWell, this accident was partly caused by unfamiliarity with doing the
> Canada
> where the pilot did a splendid job of gliding it into an unused
> military
> airport. I would qualify "so boring but so essential"
calculations
in metric, as this was Air Canada's first metric aircraft, but just as
much to
having to fly a long route in a brand-new aircraft (not just a new
plane,
but a new TYPE of aircraft for them) with a complete lack of fuel
instruments.
No fuel flowmeters, no fuel quantity gauges, etc. The crew almost
decided to
cancel the flight, as the combination of new plane, new measurement
systems
and no gauges was just begging for something to go wrong, but they
decided that
they could 'stick' the tanks, do the conversions, and be safe. As soon
as they
got to cruising altitude, they noticed they were exceeding the computed
cruising
speed for this air density and weight, and made the quick (and correct)
assumption
that they must be a lot lighter than they expected to be. There was one
really
obvious way they could have ended up too light.... So, they called ATC
and
explained tha they THOUGHT they might be very low on fuel, and as they
were explaining how this might have happened, the first engine alarmed a
low fuel pressure condition, followed almost immediately by shutdown of
one, then two engines. OOPS! Then, all the pretty cockpit displays
blank
out, and it gets REAL quiet up there!
Whew, I wouldn't want to trade places with those guys at that time, for
sure!
After executing a power off landing (nice that they had a ram air
turbine to
power the controls) the nose gear collapsed, and the crew had to use
fire
axes and similar emergency equipment to break apart a nose battery box
that had caught fire and throw the burning insulation overboard. There
were no serious injuries, as I remember, the collapse of the nose gear
caused a few bumps and scrapes, and the aircraft was harder to
evacuate with the tail way up in the air.
Jon
Discussion Thread
Jon Elson
2000-10-03 17:52:28 UTC
Getting farther off topic, but I guess air crashes involve work done to metal!