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British Airways Incident at Johannesburg

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British Airways Incident at Johannesburg

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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:27
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From a parallel universe ...
I was on this flight and sat by a window seat on the wing ...
FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Incident at JNB [BA 744 G-BNLL collides with building]
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:28
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BA shows four 747-400s parked in the desert - I don't know how much it would take to put one of those back into service, but probably a lot less than it would to fix this one
Bit of speed tape and she'll be good to go
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:32
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It would seem that threat was overlooked in the "interactive" pre-flight briefing.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:40
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Oops!

Strong old wings on the 747.

No-one was in the offices struck by the 74, for some reason. (Conspiracy theory?)

And as for Ms.H. Tolputt why was she travelling for Oxfam in Premium Economy? The extra few hundred pounds wasted on cushioning her ample posterior would have been better used helping supply clean water to an African village or shanty town. So much for corporate charities. Wasting well-meaning donations on Premium travel for employees....
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:57
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There were people in the buildings !

Four injured as BA aircraft hits OR Tambo building | National | BDlive

FOUR airport staff were injured when a British Airways (BA) Boeing 747-400 hit a building at OR Tambo International Airport, in Kempton Park, shortly before taking off for London, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said on Monday.

None of the 180 passengers on board the aircraft, headed for Heathrow Airport, were injured, said Acsa spokeswoman Unathi Batyashe-Fillis.

The four ground-handling staff were in the building when it was hit by the aircraft on Sunday night, she said. Their injuries were minor.

The passengers affected were accommodated overnight at an airport hotel.

Ms Batyashe-Fillis said the building and one of the aircraft’s wings were damaged in the crash.

"The aircraft has since been moved to a remote location and operations have not been disrupted," she said, adding that the accident was being investigated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 08:59
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Originally Posted by tdracer
BA shows four 747-400s parked in the desert - I don't know how much it would take to put one of those back into service, but probably a lot less than it would to fix this one
I think it takes about 3 months to bring a plane back on line from the desert. At least, that's roughly how long it's taken BA to reactive several stored 744s in the last year. But, as far as I am aware, that time also included an installation of a refurbished interior.

I'd imagine it can be shortened to a top up of fluids, check flight and a quick clean in a pinch.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:01
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I feel for the crew - as has already been said "there but for the grace of God".

One can imagine certain factors such as poor signage, lighting and/or charts.

Maybe "someone" head down reprogramming FMC for change in SID/departure?

Am enjoying my retirement doing some light aircraft these days after an airline career - I find myself constantly nagging people to slow down on the taxi speed!

I know airlines have max speeds which are monitored on OFDM etc but the key point is slower taxying speeds give you more thinking time and if any doubt then STOP.

Am sure the report on this one will be very interesting - holes in the swiss cheese methinks.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:16
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British Airways Incident at Johannesburg

Standing up one of the Victorville aircraft isn't an easy task. Interiors are stripped and many components are removed / robbed to add to the material stock @ LHR or keep the in service fleet flying. Also the ones in storage are all (as far as I remember) due heavy checks soon.

For the poster who asked whether BA do a C or a D check, the answer is both, just depends what stage of maintenance check is next due.

Would certainly be a big repair. One of the older guys at work told me they rebuilt a 707 wing in the BOAC days out in HKG !


Safe flying
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:18
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This image of the damaged building is taken by a colleague whilst at the the CAT11 holding point, showing the perspective of the correct taxiway vs where the B747 ended up

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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:18
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The picture of the wing embedded is halfway through the building. How fast were they going down the wrong taxiway at night to chop through it like butter?
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:27
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at coming up 24 years old, this airframe is worth the value of its 4 RB211 engines, so in the order of $15m, alas LL is unlikely to leave JNB under her own power, more likely on the back of a number of trucks....

Insurers generally work on a repair value of 60-70% constituting a total loss, this repair will easily exceed that, BUT it may be cheaper for BA to pay the difference themselves. Unless one of the very recently withdrawn units can be returned to service depending upon how stripped out they are.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:27
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Xulu

You have finally asked the question, but everybody is busy grieving , wondering about spare aircraft, there but for the grace of God etc
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:29
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BA have announced the introduction the A-380 on the Johannesburg route, early in the New Year

Will it be feasible to bring this forward rather than find a spare B-747?
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:34
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:35
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One thing that I have observed with OFDM is that max taxi speeds have unwittingly become targets rather than limits.

Before OFDM we would taxi at a speed which was (hopefully) appropriate for the situation. In certain instances this would be very slowly!
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:46
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Had this incident happened to Korean, Asiana, Vietnam or any number of third world carriers would so many of you be repeating the mantras "I feel for the crew" or "there for the grace of God" etc etc?

I most certainly DO feel for the crew here, but then I feel for ALL crews who are involved in mishaps, irrespective of for whom they work, their nationalities or whatever cultural differences the may have when compared to the western world.

The collective outpouring of feelings here, and the absence of similar condolences in respect of other incidents being discussed on this forum seem, at least to me, to demonstrate massive bias!
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 09:57
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Originally Posted by RoyHudd
And as for Ms.H. Tolputt why was she travelling for Oxfam in Premium Economy? The extra few hundred pounds wasted on cushioning her ample posterior would have been better used helping supply clean water to an African village or shanty town. So much for corporate charities. Wasting well-meaning donations on Premium travel for employees...
Yawn.

Oxfam has already tweeted that she was travelling privately and they have an economy travel policy.

Why do events like this bring out all the halfwits.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 10:01
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Distraction from the primary task of taxying safely.

These days airline crews are given far, far too many tasks to do while taxying out to the runway.

It's become a macho thing: "Yes we can handle any task you give us while navigating to the end of the runway".

But be honest. Who hasn't looked up while taxying - and got a bit of a shock? Yes?
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 10:03
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On the bright side, I'm sure that the crew was using impeccable ICAO standard RT phraseology.
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Old 23rd Dec 2013, 10:08
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Distraction from the primary task of taxying safely.

These days airline crews are given far, far too many tasks to do while taxying out to the runway.

It's become a macho thing: "Yes we can handle any task you give us while navigating to the end of the runway".

But be honest. Who hasn't looked up while taxying - and got a bit of a shock? Yes?
Albert Driver, well said! Me too!
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