CX A340 with not enough fuel?
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CX A340 with not enough fuel?
Cathay Pacific Flight 197, with 266 passengers and 15 crew on board, was inbound from Hong Kong and scheduled to land in Auckland about midday yesterday, but had to be diverted to Ohakea Air Force Base, near Palmerston North, because inclement weather made it too dangerous to land.
Cathay Pacific passengers stuck for seven hours 'not angy' | Stuff.co.nz
Flight Radar 24 shows that the approach to Auckland was aborted at 875 ft, and no go around or holding pattern was attempted.
The big question to be asked is why didn't it have sufficient fuel to continue to the only other commercial airport in New Zealand suitable for the A340? I.e. Christchurch.
Cathay Pacific passengers stuck for seven hours 'not angy' | Stuff.co.nz
Flight Radar 24 shows that the approach to Auckland was aborted at 875 ft, and no go around or holding pattern was attempted.
The big question to be asked is why didn't it have sufficient fuel to continue to the only other commercial airport in New Zealand suitable for the A340? I.e. Christchurch.
I would say he had the perfect amount of fuel, he arrived as destination and couldn't get in due to weather, he then had enough fuel to divert to his nominated alternate.
Sounds like it all went well to me.
Sounds like it all went well to me.
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Yes, Ohakea is big enough for an A340, but it is also New Zealand's only fully operational air force base, and is available to commercial aircraft only in an emergency.
The question is why the CX aircraft didn't have sufficient fuel to continue to Christchurch? Or do airlines routinely nominate operational military fields as their alternatives?
The question is why the CX aircraft didn't have sufficient fuel to continue to Christchurch? Or do airlines routinely nominate operational military fields as their alternatives?
The big question to be asked is why didn't it have sufficient fuel to continue to the only other commercial airport in New Zealand suitable for the A340? I.e. Christchurch.
I don't know the details, but I suspect the forecast for this flight indicated reasonable conditions for the planned ETA. Consequently, Ohakea was planned as the alternate. The aircraft subsequently arrived at Auckland, was unable to land due to unforecast inclement conditions and then diverted to the planned alternate. Honestly, is that such a big deal??
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I think so in some cases. Elmendorf AFB is frequently used as an alternate to Anchorage(about 5 miles away) if the weather is reasonable. In this case, the destination has the lower minimum approaches but an unforecast fog bank can easily be very localized in that region making the alternate legally the place to go.
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Yes, Ohakea is big enough for an A340, but it is also New Zealand's only fully operational air force base, and is available to commercial aircraft only in an emergency.
Ohakea has been used since 1995 by Air New Zealand as an alternate and later by other airlines too. It's the whole reason Ohakea got/maintains Part 139 certification. The RNZAF garners revenue from airlines (you have to pay to be able to nominate Ohakea plus a movement fee should you actually use it).
I don't know the details, but I suspect the forecast for this flight indicated reasonable conditions for the planned ETA. Consequently, Ohakea was planned as the alternate. The aircraft subsequently arrived at Auckland, was unable to land due to unforecast inclement conditions and then diverted to the planned alternate. Honestly, is that such a big deal??
Ka6crpe,
Nothing special happened here...the crew took flight plan fuel based on the forecast and diverted to their nominated alternate since the weather didn't improve.
Stop being a sensationalist...go back and fly your 152 in VFR conditions or play with your RC planes.
Nothing special happened here...the crew took flight plan fuel based on the forecast and diverted to their nominated alternate since the weather didn't improve.
Stop being a sensationalist...go back and fly your 152 in VFR conditions or play with your RC planes.
Many years ago Easy jet and BA used Kinloss as a diversion point for Inverness.
Until the DFT found out and said NO you cant do that its not secure!!!.
now every thing goes to ABZ or EDI and pax have to endure hours on a bus
Until the DFT found out and said NO you cant do that its not secure!!!.
now every thing goes to ABZ or EDI and pax have to endure hours on a bus
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How right you are.
I, a retired BA captain, have diverted to Kinloss on at least two occasions when the weather was below limits at Inverness (was/still is? A VOR/DME approach in my time).
We were handled by VASS? flight and what superb treatment we got (a few wee drams from the bar may have helped).
One diversion was the morning of an AOC inspection, I had much trouble trying to persuade the F/Sgt i/c not to paint the tyres white!!
Even got to meet the AOC who arrived in his own Hawk a few minutes after me.
The VASS chaps had very clean overalls.
I, a retired BA captain, have diverted to Kinloss on at least two occasions when the weather was below limits at Inverness (was/still is? A VOR/DME approach in my time).
We were handled by VASS? flight and what superb treatment we got (a few wee drams from the bar may have helped).
One diversion was the morning of an AOC inspection, I had much trouble trying to persuade the F/Sgt i/c not to paint the tyres white!!
Even got to meet the AOC who arrived in his own Hawk a few minutes after me.
The VASS chaps had very clean overalls.
Last edited by finncapt; 19th Apr 2015 at 08:45.
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So lemme see.
Planned for Auckland..arrived to find it closed
(assuming civil strip only planning) Planned Christchurch as the alternate
Was Christchurch actually open at the time? or was it closed or going to be questionable at the time of arrival?
Landed at Ohakea. Strikes me that Ohakea was within easy reach, and clearly open.
Sounds like a standard diversion to me...something we did on our PPL navs...nearest suitable. Sort the issues out later Never yet had a strip owner give me the royal for putting down on thier patch due stress of Wx....usually get coffee and scones.
Planned for Auckland..arrived to find it closed
(assuming civil strip only planning) Planned Christchurch as the alternate
Was Christchurch actually open at the time? or was it closed or going to be questionable at the time of arrival?
Landed at Ohakea. Strikes me that Ohakea was within easy reach, and clearly open.
Sounds like a standard diversion to me...something we did on our PPL navs...nearest suitable. Sort the issues out later Never yet had a strip owner give me the royal for putting down on thier patch due stress of Wx....usually get coffee and scones.
AQIS Boigu "or play with your RC planes" ... how quaint, you think they'll get out of their armchair and get past playing PC games. After all, it's safer - can't break a model or an aircraft, just revert to last saved position!
Probably shouldn't even mention it, because if we're not careful, the various polies and regulators will decide that ALL aviation should be done by PC games ... you don't need to go anywhere, have a virtual holiday with your virtual friends in a virtual place ... all safely let's pretend.
Probably shouldn't even mention it, because if we're not careful, the various polies and regulators will decide that ALL aviation should be done by PC games ... you don't need to go anywhere, have a virtual holiday with your virtual friends in a virtual place ... all safely let's pretend.
I guess with ANZAC day approaching fast talking about the demise of the RNZAF is appropriate. It seems to me most news presenters and media types don't grasp why we mark ANZAC day the way we do. They think we are celebrating something. We're not, we're remembering ( Lest We Forget) . The whole point is to remember how bloody awful it was and avoid it in the future......how do we do that? A strong peace time military of all the allied countries. So all those that vote for a more 'rationalised' defence force should feel ( in my opinion) hypocritical if they turn up at an ANZAC day parade.
Rant over......My airline plans on Ohakea as well.
Rant over......My airline plans on Ohakea as well.
Yeah?
It's about remembering the past sacrifice of our men and women of the armed services.
WTF does it have to do with,
From the Government
May be you have just missed the meaning of the day yourself!
It's about remembering the past sacrifice of our men and women of the armed services.
WTF does it have to do with,
So all those that vote for a more 'rationalised' defence force should feel ( in my opinion) hypocritical if they turn up at an ANZAC day parade.
Anzac Day now promotes a sense of unity, perhaps more effectively than any other day on the national calendar. People whose politics, beliefs and aspirations are widely different can nevertheless share a genuine sorrow at the loss of so many lives in war, and a real respect for those who have endured warfare on behalf of the country we live in.
It's about remembering the past sacrifice of our men and women of the armed services.
I do think it goes beyond just remembering for the sake of remembering though. I think it's important to remember that going back two generations the oldies who are no longer with us would always talk of the importance of never letting it happen again. To me ( and my long departed grandparents ) that meant maintaining a capable military force during times of peace.
Have a nice day,
Framer
