Airtours A320 in FNC Scrape??

[flugpants]

Have heard that an AIH A320 had a particularly heavy landing involving a substantial tailscrape at FNC yesterday due windshear. Apparently the aircraft will be AOG in FNC for quite some time whilst inspection/repair is carried out!
FNC claims another victim!
Interested to hear if this is accurate or not!

[flt_lt_w_mitty]

Wow! A couple in just a few days? That place sure must be dangerous! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/013500.html

Edit to activate link only...

[This message has been edited by Sick Squid (edited 19 April 2001).]

[flugpants]

Bu**ER!
I looked down the page to see if there was anything but didnt spot that! Ho-hum!

[Max Flyup]

As a regular into this airfield it would be nice to know which runway and what the met was at the time - can anyone help?

[Dick Scraddock]

Flew in that afternoon, RWY 05 in use 360/11 varying between 330 & 030 8KM BKN 1300` +SHVC, approaching was fine untill about 400` wind started to go predominantly north westerly with associated sheer of approx -10kts. Then very turbulent at about 50ft with the wind from the north requiring full left stick to counter the wing drop, all in all not very pleasant.

[fireflybob]

Whoever it is they have ALL my sympathies.
I have always said that the time to really watch it at FNC is when there is very little or now wind.
I myself had one fright when the wind was calm and we just gained 15kt at about 30' - I should have gone around but just slammed it on the ground - we got away with it given good brakes etc.
Not a nice place to land at sometimes!

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[Symbian]

There for the Grace of God go us all!

Years ago on departure had the wind go from 5kts tail to 20kts in the time it took to accelerate from stand still to 110kts. To late to stop and thank God we din't have an engine failure although my heart nearly popped out of my chest. We discussed that one all the way home and decided that there was nothing we could have done to prevent these events from happening, as we had used the best runway at time of departure. It was a definate case of having almost been bitten to death by ducks.

[LAVDUMPER]

Quick question:

Is FNC the code for Funchal? If so, is that the same airfield that had a large runway extension built onto it? I've seen pictures and it really looks scary - even in calm conditions!!!!!!

Cheers

[Electric Sky]

Lav

Yes FNC is Funchal. It was a notorious airfield that had a particularly short runway. I seem to recall there was an incident with a 757 there several years ago (Air Europe??). They have recently extended the runway which effectively goes out to sea on stilts! One of the "challenging" airfield to visit.

[CrashDive]

From memory (i.e. it was a looonnnggg time ago) the AE scrape had one of the company B757's damaged to the extent that the fuselage was ripped open, the flightdeck floor was buckled to an extent that the flightdeck door could not be opened, and one member of the cabin crew also sustained a reasonably serious back injury.

The aircraft was subsequently parked on the apron at FNC for more than a few weeks, much to the chagrin of the airport authorities as it occupied valuable parking space.

During this time a team of Boeing engineers fixed-up the a/c so that it could be flown off the island for heavy maintenance.

As Symbian said above, and as was said by many of the AE crews at the time, 'there but for......'

[JB007]

That explains the Air Scandic A/c and AIH flight numbers !!!!


007

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Hear All...See All...Say Now't.

[OC41]

Was def an AIH321 G-VOLH.
Airbus currently thinking of how to get it out of FNC let alone repairing it. Mid June
ETA back in service even at this early stage

[Rolling Stone]

Any news on what happened to the Airtours aircraft at Birmingham on Thursday? I was told the nose oleo went and the aircraft dropped onto the tug causing a big gash. Pax asked to walk to the back of the aircraft to get nose out/off the tug?

[blackbox]

Who built it there!!!

http://www.madeiran.net/airport/assets/airport/popup/ANAM-2.jpg

[This message has been edited by blackbox (edited 21 April 2001).]

[Mr @ Spotty M]

The FNC incident has been upgraded to an accident by the CAA.
Major damage, not just skin, it has frame damage etc.
BHX was the tug hitting the aircraft, not the aircraft hitting the tug.
Airtours also had a DC10 with a damaged middle leg, grounded in MBJ at the same time.
This was caused by BA trying to change a wheel on the leg, incorrectly.
Hope this helps.

[DiveBomber]

Funchal - what a mess. Anyone have the full history of accidents:- please reply. Airtous the recent/Air Europe/ TAP ov erhe end of the runway (aquaplane)/Swiss Air (forgot to re-set instruments and thought the strip was 5 miles south in the sea/ Iberea ( re-positiong the aircraft over the end of the runway) & Sabena....oh yes - another TAP on Porto Santo when the nose wheel stuck.

Rumours on Madeira is that the solution is to fill in the pylons with a car park. The EU gave Madeira £400 million to build the extensions - so what is another £50 million (to) to build a car park which can park every car on the Island - at the same time!

Meanwhile 2 tour companies have removed Madeira from their holiday brochures because of the costs of regular diversion.

Anyone have any ideas as to the prospects for this airport?

[This message has been edited by PPRuNe Towers (edited 22 April 2001).]

[SOPS]

Ive got an idea, close the thing down to aircraft above 5700kgs. Just have a shuttle service by smaller aircraft (or better by ship!) The whole place is a danger, I hate it, and the sooner it sinks into the ocean the better. Lets face it, if you asked BA,or QF or others to operate in there, they would fall off thier seats laughing. The thing is a big accident waiting to happen!

[bullshot]

I heard that after the Air europe 757 accident at FNC the steward was reported to have said...
"I have had a few things up my @rse in my time but never the nose leg of a 757"

Regards, Bull

Bother!" said Pooh "Eyeore, ready two photon torpedoes and lock phasers on
the Heffalump, Piglet, meet me in transporter room three, Christopher
Robin, you have the bridge"

[qrh]

SOPS - Not entirely true: BA operate into Funchal twice a week, albeit cunningly franchised out to GB Airways.........

[DiveBomber]

Let the runway (airport) sink into the sea. tried that but only the aircraft seem to be successsful at that! GB are very good going in there - but how long will it be until their pilots say enough is enough? Britannia (UK) have just got insurance clearance to go there I hear....but I suspect if other tour companies keep pulling Madeir out of their brochures (the cost of diversion making holidays to Madeira uneconomic) - then it won't be long before more airlines pull out.

Doe anyone know how to 'fix' the wind problem there - apart from sinking the whole thing into the sea? http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif

How many acidents or near accidents at FNC never get reported? Sooner or later the happy holiday-maker is going to boycott the place.....

[160to4DME]

Had to giggle, despite the severity of the incident, as the Airtours kangaroo went down the runway.
The lady tower controller exclaimed quite hysterically
"AIRTOURS, AIRTOURS, YOU HAVE SPARKLES COMING OUT OF YOUR BOTTOM!!!!"

[Lou Scannon]

It is absurd to have holiday airports that require a degree of luck to operate into. I have never been there on holiday and wouldn't dream of going there with my family until the local authority builds a runway which is safe.
I agree with the idea that the maximum weight should be limited to 5,700kg until a normal runway is built somewhere on the Island that can really accommodate holiday flights.

No runway-no tourists.

[fireflybob]

Sorry to add a word of dissent but aren't we getting a bit hysterical about FNC?
Operated in their over three years continuously (3 flights a week!) and I began to feel that I knew the place - and this was before the runway extension.
Yes, it is challenging and you need to be careful but I think it is wrong to "blame" the airport, etc.
I have donned my pith helmet and now await the onslaught!

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[DIRECTTANGODELTA]

Flew into FNC recently as part of the monday
"rush" and the wind is tricky and variable but the runway is excellent.What is needed is some radar coverage especially when planning a descent.We were still at FL250 overhead the Porto Santo VOR(just over 30 miles to run)due to procedural cover and had to lose the height over the Funchal VOR.An
Air Luxor L1011 was doing touch and goes on 05 and 23 during the rush which made things very interesting!!They are now competing with TAP on the Lisbon shuttle and fly via Porto Santo.

[DiveBomber]

No tin hat needed Fireflybob.....Glad that someone feels confident about the airport - you must be a GB airways pilot - they do a very good job in and out of there.

FNC has a full history of accidents and the problems with the new runway are a disaster 'in waiting'. It is not if - but when. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

Let us just hope that when the next one happens - everyone will have the same luck as Airtours recent episode.

I hear that TAP, who already lose money on their Lisbon-FNC route, may reduce their daily flights if Luxor continue to take their revenue from them....Madeira will be renamed Alcrataz.....You can't escapr without risk when going there or getting away!

[Ticker]

Well if we are going to slag FNC off, why not throw in Mikonos, Samos and R/W 17 at night in Corfu. I would also be hapy never to work out of Leeds again.

[SOPS]

Ticker, yeh I have to say i agree with you on all those places, especially Corfu. Maybe we should stert a new thread on BAD PLACES.

[A and C]

I got a look at the aircraft involved and it has a large area of damage under the aft cargo bay , an working party (airbus ?)are repairing the damage.

[DiveBomber]

SOPS - good idea; start a new thread called BAD TARMAC and incoude Cofu and Funchal. I would be good to have a European forum for us all to read problems and solutions of European airports.

Hope Airtoiurs get their aricraft back - there must now be many pissed off pax at Gatwick waiting for their Airtours flights (mind you they are used to it!).

Moderator - can your search engine be programmed to search all the forums at once please?

[PPRuNe Towers]

Not without stopping the whole site DB - very processor intensive.

You'll have to wait for when we get the mainframe ........

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Regards from the Towers
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