BA Connect/EMB 145

[Hampshire Hog]

First I should say I am not a BA basher - quite the opposite, I fly as a private pilot with their flying club and I have always chosen to use them when I fly from LHR for work.
However, in the last two weeks, I have taken my first 3 flights from SOU with BA Connect on the EMB145. The first flight was cancelled because the aircraft went Tech. I am not one for getting uptight about this; I would rather be delayed than fly on a faulty aircraft.
Having said that, the return journey ended with a final approach into SOU that even as a humble PA28 pilot I would say was very poor. I don't care about hard landings, but a couple of steepish turns (for late final) - I would estimate 15 to 20 degrees angle of bank (probably when the A/P was uncoupled) - at about 200' seemed to me, in an airliner, rather dodgy. Needless to say, this did not result in the best of let downs. I was expecting a go-around from such a destabilised approach.
Finally, I flew back from EDI yesterday with the same. First, we were held on the stand because a BMI Embraer stopped behind us with a tech fault. Then we pushed back and, after 3 or 4 attempts to start the no.1 engine, the Captain said we were going back on the stand to see if an 'indication on the flight deck' could be cleared. He then 're-booted' the aircraft. With no further flight deck message to a worried looking set of passengers, we then took off. There was some vibration on t/o and quite a lot of wobbling around which I had not experienced on the type before and I reported to the cabin crew, but it was clear when I left the aircraft after landing that this had not been communicated to the flight deck during the flight. There was no further communication for PAX from the flight deck at all. On arrival at SOU and engineer was brought on-board before all PAX had left the aircraft.
So, out of three flights with this BA franchisee, and my first 3 on the EMB145, I am left asking myself whether this operation or its aircraft are actually safe. Sure, I am a nervous passenger, but I'm also a private pilot so I notice things - and try not to overestimate noises - in flight sensations in the cabin etc. Either way, I have to say that the lack of communication from the flight deck on a plane which had clearly had a problem was unnerving and amounts to very poor customer service.
I think I will stick to flying from LHR with BA mainline in future.
HH

[cheesycol]

No precision approach into SOU, so would have been a VOR/DME. When crew go visual, by MDA, if not positioned well for a landing, two options: reposition if safe to do so, or if too far out of position it is a go-around and try again. MDA at SOU escapes me, but I think it is around 700ft. Also the FAT on each runway is offset from the c/l in the order of 8 to 12 degrees depending on the runway - one end is more offset than t'other - hence the manouvering to align with rwy c/l. Not dodgy, perfectly routine, and would be performed by any airline using an approach offset from the c/l. However, the more precise the tracking, the less manouvering required!

There are limits to the amount of attempts to start an engine, so a pull back onto stand sounds sensible, to sort the problem. Vibration on takeoff can occur - excess vibration is easily spotted on the engine vibration indicators. If it was general wobbiliness(?) a stiff crosswind can mean a little wobble after rotation as the pf arranges the controls and attempts to follow the sid! Obviously the more experienced the pf the less the wobbles!

Finally are you sure it was the engineer who jumped on the a/c after landing at SOU, or just a very eager dispatcher trying to get the maybe late aircraft turned around and back out again?

Commercial operations are very different to pa28 ops - as I'm finding out, but I'm sure that at no point anybody was in danger! I'm sure that safety in BACON would be taken just as seriously as anywhere else in the industry, unfortunately, with much respect, as a ppl a little knowledge can be dangerous with respect to conclusion jumping.

Aircraft will always go tech, and other glitches such as an a/c blocking another on stand will always happen irrespective of airline. Just unfortunate they happened to you in quick succession.

[Doors to Automatic]

I had a BACON flight from Belfast to Birmingham a few months ago. First the CC had a giggling fit during the saftey demo and took her about 6 times as long to get through it, then after t/o the captain got the ATC/Cabin PA switch the wrong way such that all comms to ATC were broadcast to the bemused passengers for at least 5 mins. The CC did not put him right!

Obviously nothing to write home about but it did make me question if they are taking things as seriously as they might!

[marlowe]

the P/A thing is a common occurence on the Embraer 145 guess poor design of the switch. even the most experienced flightdeck cock it up.

[Hampshire Hog]

Cheesycol,

Thanks for your detailed response. I was interested to note your comments about the approach at SOU. I think, on this occasion, that we should have been visual at least abeam Winchester. Since the turns to which I referred took place just above the railway sidings - I really do think we were well below 700' (at least, we should have been by then!)

I understand that there are so many attempts to start a jet engine, before some cooling time and review is undertaken. Having said that, I have never experienced more than one attempt in all my years of flying on the Airbus and Boeing families - which was why I wondered whether the Embraer has rather different characteristics:O Finally, it wasn't really the fact there was a problem which bothered me, it was the lack of communication to say what it was, that it had been resolved and to reassure that the flight could continue/was continuing normally - especially after the delay. It would at least have been polite and, for some, reassuring. It was the cabin crew who told me the individual who borded at SOU was an engineer - I like to think they knew who it was, in these days of heightened security!

I do realise commercial ops are quite different from private flying - and I don't pretend to be an expert. My only reason for mentioning my own flying was to avoid the usual allegation that PAX overjudge height/angle of bank etc. The point is, I know what 200' above ground looks like - even from the back.

Finally, I don't suggest anyone was really in danger. It's just my experiences with this operator feel less reassuring than my previous experiences with airlines such as BA mainline, United, Flybe etc. I experienced a horrible vibration on a BA 757 climbing out of EDI some years ago, which I reported to cabin crew (who were sat miles away - I was over the wing) and which they reported immediately to the flight deck. The explanation was straighforward - hydraulic leak on one wheel - capped brake pipe - so gear left down for longer to allow the unbraked wheel to slow down. Cabin crew returned to me with the explanation and asked the captain to explain in person when we deplaned at LHR. A far more impressive response.

Thanks once again.

HH