AA evacuates at LHR-smoke in the cabin
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I'd suggest that the decision was far from clear cut.
How easily could we have been reading a report like this:
"Accident investigators are calling into question the decision of the captain to initiate an evacuation after 15 passengers died and 47 other were treated in hospital for extensive 2nd and 3rd degree burns after fuel flowing under the aircraft ignited shortly after the evacuation commenced. Unevacuated passengers remaining onboard were uninjured as rescue fire services quickly brought the fire under control".
And yes - I'll be the first to say that the report could have read completely differently again. It's a judgement call - one that one needed all the facts at the time to be available to have the best chance of making it correctly. He was there - we weren't. Yes - it's a gamble to keep people onboard - but it's also a gamble to evacuate. We're really not in a position to say which gamble had the best chance of success because we don't have all the information.
My money is on the guy (a) not being stupid (based on the assumption that stupid people never make it as far as captaining a bird that size) and (b) making what he thought was the best decision at the time, with the information he had available.
Last edited by BugSmasher1960; 1st Jul 2016 at 00:58.
The AA55 at MAN returned to stand this afternoon after an APU fault appeared just before take off. I guess they are being very cautious.
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Kaikohe bro.....a little harsh there mate!!! Jeeezzz,mate.......are we that bad (AA).. Let's not use one brush to paint all.Do you know how many flights a day we run???, more than most,hopefully I'm reading your post wrong.....Kapai
Fair enough guys, there are other choices of course & no disrespect directed towards them. However, regarding recent posts here & elsewhere on Prune on the question of evacuations, I always thought, if things are rather dire in or about the aircraft, you got the pax & crew off PDQ, even if this might mean the odd sprained ankle etc. Difficult decision of course, but as we all know, the situation can turn very rapidly to custard. No axe to grind at all, safe flying to all.
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Kaikohe,wholeheartedly agree it could turn to custard very quickly.The bottom line here I believe is in constant training of how and when to initiate an evacuation.Because of the delicate nature,size of A/C,number of pax,airport facilities etc etc and mostly,the issue at stake,whether it be APU,engine cabin or a variety of others,information becomes gold.Where I'm at,evac training is done every 9 months(not enough) under a variety of situations.I learn something everytime I make a cockup,but at least it is controlled and I can self evaluate my decision making.
I have come close on two occasions in declaring an evac,luckily both occasions were indication issues,and it never eventuated.But at least the crew were prepared and trained,and the mindset was in place.Very seldom do you get evacs 100% right,if you have read the post-flight evac from the crew,something was either missed,forgotten or just plain lost in translation.An example being the Hudson water landing,Paxs standing on wings,I don't remember seeing the wing exit ropes being anchored???,please correct me if I'm wrong.
Kaikohe mate,just look back a few years,and I'm not pointing fingers,or scape goating anyone here,but there have been several Asian carriers, (LLC types)no names mentioned,but video and eye witness reports (a mate and pilot on one of these flights)show the crew evacuating before the Passengers!!!!. Lovely!! At least where I'm at,we try to do it right,like so many others ......Kapai
I have come close on two occasions in declaring an evac,luckily both occasions were indication issues,and it never eventuated.But at least the crew were prepared and trained,and the mindset was in place.Very seldom do you get evacs 100% right,if you have read the post-flight evac from the crew,something was either missed,forgotten or just plain lost in translation.An example being the Hudson water landing,Paxs standing on wings,I don't remember seeing the wing exit ropes being anchored???,please correct me if I'm wrong.
Kaikohe mate,just look back a few years,and I'm not pointing fingers,or scape goating anyone here,but there have been several Asian carriers, (LLC types)no names mentioned,but video and eye witness reports (a mate and pilot on one of these flights)show the crew evacuating before the Passengers!!!!. Lovely!! At least where I'm at,we try to do it right,like so many others ......Kapai
Pakehaboy
Appreciate your last post & thanks for your comments.
For me, it's quite some time since sitting at the sharp end & much in the aviation world has progressed since then. However basic airmanship I'm fairly sure will still prevail, as it must of course, for all our sakes.
The question of when & when not to evacuate, I suppose will still be discussed long after I'm garden compost & it will always be, dammed if you do & dammed if you don't, I would think. I was lucky enough never to be met by a really serious event during my time in the air, double air system failure on the 1-11 was interesting, but thankfully fairly strait forward to deal with, we descended fairly quickly I recall.
Cheers.
Appreciate your last post & thanks for your comments.
For me, it's quite some time since sitting at the sharp end & much in the aviation world has progressed since then. However basic airmanship I'm fairly sure will still prevail, as it must of course, for all our sakes.
The question of when & when not to evacuate, I suppose will still be discussed long after I'm garden compost & it will always be, dammed if you do & dammed if you don't, I would think. I was lucky enough never to be met by a really serious event during my time in the air, double air system failure on the 1-11 was interesting, but thankfully fairly strait forward to deal with, we descended fairly quickly I recall.
Cheers.
