Is there not any mention in the FCOM about eventually letting the outfit cool down and the rubbers blow off before going close to gate and other equipment or personel? Without wanting to blame anybody, it seems that having the passengers disembark with all the necessary equipment and people around and basically knowing (through calcs) that some brakes will overheat and some tires might deflate (sounds alarming!) is not the safest option. Again, is there no mention of this in the manuals?
Glofish,
You're making way, way too much of the fuse plugs melting. They do so with a fart and a Texan whisper. There's no huge explosion. There's no whirlwind of air whipping fire appliances off their wheels. There's no huge settling of the aircraft on its axles. As with all hot brakes, you stand in front or behind them and you don't spray liquids onto them. You let nature takes its course and see if they cool quicker than the plugs melt. If the plugs win, then the tyres deflate. No big deal and alarming only if you're a big girl. I would much rather have the passengers de-planing as EK did in this instance, than parking out in the middle of NRT's taxyways, with the attendant flashing lights and nonsense that only the Japanese know how to excel at.....now that, for the pax, is alarming.
How do you stand on the 757 having no fuel dumping facilities at all? That can take off way above its MLW and, shock, horror, it can land (in emergency) above its MLW. You'll be amazed to know this is the case for all modern airliners, so stop trying to have a dig at the Airbus. I stand by my question regarding the crew's decision to reduce their weight by burning off fuel but this is a genuine query, rather than an uniformed dig at an aircraft manufacturer.