SLF3
17th Feb 2004, 20:34
Was on an A340 coming on stand at a third world airport. On the next stand was an A-330. The follow me truck cut the corner, and so did the A-340. From where I was sitting, alongside the wing root, it LOOKED as though the winglet of the A-340 was under the horizontal stabiliser of the A-330. Frantic baton waving and the pilot stood on the brakes (hard). The winglet dived and bounced up under the stabiliser. It looked very close. Recognising the answers can only be very approximate:
- How high is the top of the winglet above ground (when the fuel tanks are nearly empty)?
- How high is the outboard end of the horizontal stabiliser above ground?
- How much (roughly) would the wing tip move in an emergency stop from 5mph?
I'm not naming names or places, or saying the winglet was definitely under the stabiliser. I'm just curious as to whether what appeared to happen could have done!
- How high is the top of the winglet above ground (when the fuel tanks are nearly empty)?
- How high is the outboard end of the horizontal stabiliser above ground?
- How much (roughly) would the wing tip move in an emergency stop from 5mph?
I'm not naming names or places, or saying the winglet was definitely under the stabiliser. I'm just curious as to whether what appeared to happen could have done!