Originally Posted by
slayerdude
Lets put this is perspective: When sully ditched into the Hudson, no body questioned if the 'ditching-switch was on .obviously off as the rear slides were unusable and if 50 folks had drowned not being able to get out... they would be blaming you know who... but the outcome was favorable.
so aircraft on fire... no evacuation... everybody got out safe... like the Hudson... outcome is favorable... they didn't poke holes at the miracle on the Hudson... do we need it here?????
fact: fire engines were on standby and were by the a/c side the moment the a/c came to a stop. fire chief told the a/c captain not to evacuate , fire chief said this twice. Fire chief said the fire is under control and there is fuel spillage on the tarmac making an emergency evacuation unsafe.
so experience but sub standard SQ captain didn't evacuate despite raging fire on wing..... should have not listen to fire chief but listen to you arm chair captains.....then maybe ... just maybe everybody might walk out of this alive.....oh hang on... that happened.
slayerdude
i have followed this incident as carefully as poss.
re your ''facts''
where did you see/read/hear the fire chief told them not to EVAC, twice, you state? and that an EVAC was unsafe - sorry that is news to me....
the fire trucks were
not on standby - they were out on another shout (or drill) and were diverted to the landing 777 by then on fire (lucky for them, saving a couple of minutes prep and drive)
yes they were pumping foam on target within 1 min 7 secs of a full stop with 3 trucks spraying by 2 min 50 secs
2 main factors that saved them from this being a major - the wind blew the fire away from cabin on the RHS (the LHS was all clear and no fire pooling there) and that the fire trucks were already on the field nearby and on the move already
if the trucks had been sitting in the station instead of being already out on the field or wind direction was not in their favour then the outcome here would have been rather different