AF552 LFPG - FACT Diverted to FABMe
 

Just heard of this Air France B772 that diverted to Bloemfontein South Africa.
Official reason is Crosswinds, but a mate of mine that flew into FACT today said something about Windshear on both RWY 01 and RWY 19.

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVSzkGSWcAAXDTR.png

With all due respects, is this really newsworthy?

Well, with all due respect, If you knew anything about Aviation in South Africa then you would understand why this is in fact newsworthy... :ok:

How many children/kittens did they miss as the brave crew wrestled with the controls before heroically averting disaster on the doomed jet? Just need to know for the daily mail.

i agree with HT, it is not newsworthy - and yes I have flown into CPT and JNB many times.

imho windshear is nothing unique to South Africa or the state of its aviation.

CK003
 

OK now, out with it, did they or did they not divert so we can exhale.
No matter how news - unworthy it still is more worthy than an argument about newsworthiness

Must be the largest aerie that have landed in BFN? Why didn't they divert to PE? 2 000 meters too short for a 777 at the coast?

Ba's 74's go there when required.

My brother was on this flight as a passenger and he said the approaches into Cape Town from both directions where totally smooth, no shear noticible in the cabin - just seconds before expected touchdown, the go around was initiated.

Information to passengers was sparse, except for a comment of tail- wind exceedance.

Refuelling in FABL took for ever as there was no way of pressure refuelling due to equipment limitations - they possibly also tankered fuel for the leg back to Paris as the AC seemed very heavy on the sector back to FACT.

Not likely. Apart from there being no operational reason for it, there is something called the maximum landing weight.

My comment does not imply that they fueled above MLW just that they possibly may have uplifted more than MINTOF.
It took a few hours to fuel the aircraft in FABL with pax on board :(