QANTAS / BA Flight hits JFK blast fence

[VivaTheBeaver]

In the BA lounge at JFK, lots of Aussies being told to pick up their bags as their incoming aircraft hit a blast fence on the taxi in. Anyone care to fill in some details, they say at least 24 hours to repair.
Not a journo, just a passenger with an interest in aviation waiting in the lounge wondering what the damage was.

[MASP]

From The Sydney Morning Herald, online:

"Qantas jet hits airport blast fence
Debbie Cuthbertson
May 30, 2006 - 11:33AM

A Qantas plane has hit a fence at New York's JFK airport.

A spokesman for the airline has confirmed that the wing tip of a Qantas aircraft hit a blast fence at the airport last night.

He said the aircraft was taxiing on the runway after landing at JFK about 5pm New York time (7am AEST).

Qantas is expected to release to a statement about the incident."

[MASP]

Just posted, a similar report (below) from The Australian, online. (The time lag in reporting seem unusual):
"Qantas jet damaged in NY
By staff writers
May 30, 2006
A QANTAS jet clipped a fence after arriving at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport today, authorities said.
AP reports that no one was hurt, and the plane was not significantly damaged.
The plane had flown in from Los Angeles and hit the fence as it was heading for a terminal.
AP said the plane landed safely about 5.30pm (0830 AEST), according to Tony Ciavolella, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the region's airports.
Passengers were reportedly held up for only a few minutes after the accident and then disembarked."

[frangatang]

S erves them right.Why cant they find their own terminal at JFK instead of clogging up the stands that BA use

[apaddyinuk]

Because Frangatang, BA get a lot of lucrative money by handeling Qantas at the terminal and as they are both oneworld carriers it makes sense for them to be together.

[qfcabin]

Pretty tough Franga..3 services a week..2 hour transit..and I'm sure BA do pretty well from the deal!

[VH-GRUMPY]

Also because BA used to be a shareholder in Qantas - they sold out only last year I think.
:ugh:

[YesTAM]

Wingtip schwingtip. It doesn't matter much, its just money and a new or repaired wingtip.

[TopBunk]

Manoeuvring a large aircraft around on the ground at JFK is quite challenging in general with narrow-ish taxiways and numerous 90deg turns. In the BA terminal 7 area there are also nearby obstacles and quite specific stand entry requirements to reduce the risk on hitting anything with your wingtip/outboard engine. Great concentration is required and it's always a relief to shutdown/take off. Aircraft have clouted things there before and will again, this was probably a first for Qantas though.

[Fly3]

I have to agree with TopBunk. Taxiing a B744 around the cycle track width taxiways in JFK is always a challenge. It is amazing that there are not more incidents like this. Manoeuvering the A380 is going to be even more exciting.

[islandhopper]

Try an A340-600......................:eek:

[Taildragger67]

S erves them right.Why cant they find their own terminal at JFK instead of clogging up the stands that BA use

Now... where was that cranium-retract lever...

[surely not]

They will still be able to repair this faster than they will the new all plastic 787 super airfix kit that everyone is leaping to buy.

[Globaliser]

In the BA lounge at JFK, lots of Aussies being told to pick up their bags as their incoming aircraft hit a blast fence on the taxi in.I just missed the excitement - I left the lounge about 45 minutes before you posted (on the 1900 BA to LHR), abandoning a number of Aussies sitting on the next sofa still eagerly discussing their forthcoming QF flight. Little did they know what was to come.

[MASP]

More Australian press coverage, The Age online:

"By Debbie Cuthbertson, Vanessa Burrow
May 30, 2006 - 3:32PM ...

Qantas is investigating an incident in which one of its jets carrying more than 200 passengers hit a fence at a United States airport.

One passenger on the flight has told theage.com.au the flight was like a minor collision in a car park.

The wing tip of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 struck a blast fence at new York's JFK Airport around 5pm local time yesterday (7am AEST), a Qantas spokesman has confirmed.

"QF107 from Los Angeles with 204 passengers on board was taxiing to the terminal at the time," the spokesman said.

"We understand it was being directed by an airport marshaller. No-one was hurt as a result of the incident."

Flight cancelled

Flight QF 108 from New York to Sydney flight was cancelled as a result of the incident, the spokesman said. Passengers on that flight have been booked on other flights, as have passengers who joined QF107 in Los Angeles. They are yet to depart.

The spokesman said he could not estimate the cost of the damage to the jet.

"We are currently assessing repairs needed to the wing tip," he said.

Qantas had notified the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and relevant US authorities about the incident, and would be conducting its own investigation.

"No one was hurt as a result of the incident and passengers were kept updated at all times by the flight crew," the spokesman said.

Passengers on board the flight said it took Qantas and airport staff about an hour to get the plane clear of the blast fence at the edge of the tarmac.

Greg, a passenger travelling on the flight to New York from Sydney via LA, told theage.com.au no one was injured or distressed in the minor accident.

'A bit like a car park accident'

"(It was) a bit like a car park accident, you know, when you bump one of those poles," he said.

"Everyone was pretty amused by it all."

Another passenger, who preferred not to be identified, said the flight crew appeared to overshoot the guide line for turning into the gate.

"Moments later a loud, shuddering groan shook the aircraft and we came to a stop," he said.

"Looking out the windows, we could see that the starboard wingtip had hit a blast fence . . . the damage to the leading edge of the wingtip was clearly visible."

The man said the first officer announced the accident, saying, "There's not much room to manoeuvre".

Crews lightened the wing by pumping fuel into the port wing fuel tank and removing luggage and cargo, and the wing was lifted clear of the fence."

[MarkD]

SN

Whatever do you mean. Everyone knows Boeing plastic is invulnerable, not like that Airbus stuff... (tiptoes away)

[Feather #3]

With apologies to George Orwell, "All marshallers are wonderful; some are more wonderful than others!" :rolleyes:

G'day ;)

[fmgc]

One passenger on the flight has told theage.com.au the flight was like a minor collision in a car park.

How refreshing to read a story about an aviation incident that has not been "sensationalised" (sic).