8/7/07 PAN PAN call Area 20

[K3nnyboy]

Hey guys,

I am just at the wannabe level at this stage. Was flying to Mudgee this afternoon in a BE-76 Duchess and heard a PAN PAN call overhead YMDG, from memory it was an "Eastern 2186 with 37 POB" which was suffering an engine problem, but was safely landed at another aerodrome bit later, could someone bopdy from this forum fill me in with more details of what happened?? Does a Dash 8 have auto-feathering system?? Thanks guys...and glad to hear those pilots landed safe n sound.:ok:

[Toluene Diisocyanate]

There has been a Dash stuck in NBR since this morning waiting for engineering. Could be the one youre talking about.
Dash has autofeather but its only used for takeoff. No reason to have it otherwise.

[speedjet]

Beleive they had an indication of Low Oil Pressure where the QRH requires engine to be selected to Start/Feather

[Chilli Tarts]

:}or an engine shut down.

Low Oil Pressure (40-55psi)
Feather engine
Low Oil Pressure (below 40psi or eng oil pressure warning light)
Engine shut down

[K3nnyboy]

to the best of my recollection, I think they had one of the engine shut down, but was able to conduct a normal approach...it really caught my attention as soon as I heard that PAN PAN.:rolleyes:

[Toluene Diisocyanate]

Plane’s engine crisis shutdown
By David Ellery
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ANNE Macneil, the 77-year-old widow of a WWII Spitfire pilot, drew on memories of what her husband had told her about his war-time experiences to remain calm, cool and collected following yesterday's QantasLink emergency at Narrabri. Mrs Macneil, who had been in Sydney to attend her grandson's 21st birthday, said the twin engined airliner – which was carrying 37 passengers – was about 30 minutes from Narrabri when the drama began.
"The plane was shuddering – there was a real shudder – and you could tell that something was wrong," she said.
Passengers were able to see – as well as feel – there was a problem within moments, when the plane's captain shutdown one of the engines and "feathered" the propeller.
Mrs Macneil's husband Hugh Macneil had flown Spitfires – single engined fighter aircraft – against the Japanese in the last years of WWII.
"My husband had always said that two engines were better than one," she said. "Only one engine was mucking up and we still had the other left."
This view was quickly confirmed by the pilot who has since been praised by many of the passengers for his handling of the situation.
"He (the pilot) came on the speaker and said that while we had a problem everything was going to be okay," she said.
The atmosphere aboard the plane, a Dash 8, remained remarkably calm.
"There was apprehension but there was no panic," Mrs Macneil told The Leader.
"The hostesses didn't have to intervene and everything went on as normal. We might have been a little late getting into Narrabri but we had a tailwind and I think that helped."
Touchdown, when it came at about 10.45am, was surprisingly smooth and passengers were – for the most part – unworried.
"I remember that wretched husband, whenever we had a rough landing (in an airliner) saying 'we've arrived' rather than ‘we've landed'," she said.
Mrs Macneil said yesterday's landfall at Narrabri was much more a landing than an arrival.
Mrs Macneil, who said she was looking forward to returning to her home in Moree where a hyperactive Maltese terrier called Snick (short for St Nicholas) was waiting to welcome her through the front door, was disappointed that QantasLink had not acted more quickly to ensure passengers got to their destination. The plane had been due to disembark passengers at Narrabri, collect Narrabri passengers for Sydney and then fly to Moree before returning to Sydney.
With the plane effectively grounded the minute it touched down none of the Moree or Sydney passengers could continue with their travel plans.
"It would have been nice if, when we had landed, there had been a bus waiting to take us to Moree," she said.
"You would have thought there would be a bus in Narrabri they could have used."
QantasLink resolved the dilemma for the Moree travellers by calling on a fleet of four taxis. The last of these, carrying a mother and child, is believed to have left Narrabri shortly after 12.30pm. At the time of going to press The Leader was unable to confirm what arrangements had been made for the transit of the Sydney bound passengers.
Mrs Macneil said yesterday that she had felt particularly close to her husband – who she lost four years ago – during the ordeal.
"He was a flying officer – an officer and a gentleman, definitely both of those," she said.
Based on an island off the north coast of Australia, Mr Macneil flew against the Japanese during the island-hopping advance on Japan.
"I think it was the Halmeras Islands – I've never really gone to find it," Mrs Macneil said.
"He was shot down while strafing Japanese gun emplacements and very badly injured. One of the Japanese guns hit him. He did consider bailing out – and took his seat belt off – and then decided against it on the grounds it might not be good to land on top of the people he had been shooting at.
"There was an American base closer to him than his own airstrip so he headed there. The plane didn't quite make it and crash landed just a short distance off the landing strip. It immediately caught fire."
The badly injured pilot – who had been thrown from the plane on impact – was very fortunate that one of the Americans on the base was a Spitfire fanatic.
"This man knew enough about the planes to realise that if the pilot was still in the cockpit you would be able to see a hand, a shoulder or the top of his head or something. They couldn't so he and another man began searching for Hugh. They found him about 500m from the plane. He was badly hurt and had suffered severe head injuries."
Mr Macneil's luck was still holding however. Unlike his own camp, the American base had a neurosurgeon who was able to give him the urgent treatment he required immediately and he made a good recovery.

:8:8:8


and

Emergency landing for Dash 8
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By Carisa Josephs A QANTASLINK jet carrying 37 passengers and 2000 litres of fuel was forced to make an emergency landing at Narrabri Airport yesterday morning, following what was reported to be a warning system malfunction in the plane's control board.
The pilot of the Dash 8 aircraft requested stand-by emergency support from Narrabri police, ambulance and fire brigades just after 10.30am, citing problems with an oil pressure warning light.
A precautionary engine shutdown was used by the pilot prior to landing, before the aircraft was landed safely at Narrabri Airport at 10.45am. No injuries were reported.
A spokesperson for Australia's aviation watchdog, Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), yesterday told The Leader the outcome of a report into the incident would be closely monitored.
"(CASA) will get a report from Qantas after technicians have inspected the aircraft. We will request a more detailed report if there does appear to be a genuine problem with the (equipment)," the spokesperson said.
Some of the passengers aboard the Sydney-Narrabri-Moree flight were forced to wait for buses before they were able to complete their journey to Moree.
Narrabri Airport employees yesterday refused to comment about the incident, as did crew members who had been on the QantasLink flight.
Passengers aboard the plane told The Leader the situation had been very competently handled and that airline staff had been calm and professional at all times.
While the atmosphere had been tense after the engine was shutdown there was never any sense of panic or alarm.
Robert Chappel, a Baan Baa resident, said the plane had been late flying over his home, was travelling much higher than usual and had sounded "different".

:ugh::ugh::suspect:


Hilarious!

[Capt Claret]

The hostesses didn't have to intervene and everything went on as normal.

Onya guys/gals.

They must employ a higher calibre pilot in NSW, given that the hostesses didn't have to get involved! :D

[squawk6969]

And these people get paid heaps to write this tripe!:ugh:

No wonder even politicians complain about being misquoted!:E

SQ

[Icarus53]

Robert Chappel, a Baan Baa resident, said the plane had been late flying over his home, was travelling much higher than usual and had sounded "different".

:DBravo Bob - make sure you get that into the boys at ATSB. Bob is a former CASA consultant, specialising in ATC divination techniques. Am I the only one picturing Tattoo from "Fantasy Island"?

PS - Sorry Bob, it's not your fault you're simple ... it's the paper's fault for telling everyone else.