Originally Posted by
dwshimoda
Purepax,
Why would any sane individual who has done a fuel calculation (aircraft don't carry thousands of tons of un-necessary fuel) take-off knowing they had a major leak - and therefore not enough fuel to reach their destination?
Do you think it's possible for a passenger to say something like "prepared to take off" when in fact a closer term might be "awaiting departure"?
Do you think a passenger on a commercial flight is going to know what the Captain is thinking, and if not, what reasonable conclusion would you arrive at when determining the intended meaning of "prepared to take off" when spoken by said passenger?
To answer your question, no, I don't think it's reasonable, but then I'm not attributing an unreasonable meaning to an ambiguous phrase. My interpretation, even before posting here, was that the Captain may have been "preparing" for take off when he was informed of the apparent issue. I don't recall saying "the Captain, in full knowledge of a fuel leak, was willing to endanger all souls".
Originally Posted by
dwshimoda
What a load of crap - I suggest your friend couldn't be arsed seeing you, and so invented this little tale.
Originally Posted by
apaddyinuk
This sounds all too much like the Phuket Air 747 enroute from BKK to LGW (or was it the other way around) a few years back. Perhaps this is two stories that have become mixed up?
As I said previously, I know someone actually still at the destination who was also on the flight. A total coincidence that I was not aware of until earlier today. I've not spoken to them directly yet to hear first hand what that passenger thought was occurring.