Your Worst Flight And Why

[COA777]

Pilots or just pax (passengers) are welcome to answer. I am a CAO 777-200 pilot. My worst flight was from EWR - LHR. We were delayed 11 hours for snow on the runway and we had a lot of turbulence over the Atlantic. Share your experiences.

[Bally Heck]

Luxury COA777, used to dream about bein' delayed 11 hours. We thought we was lucky if we were only delayed t' week.

Used to dream about t' turbulence over t' Atlantic. We though we was lucky if t'wings was still on at end of trip.

Don't tell me about snow on runway. We used to have to take of in ten foot snow drifts and we still had to do assumed temperature derates. Flight ops manager used to go into hysterics as we went of end of t'runway still only doing t'ten knots.

:) :) :)

[Hotel Tango]

YMX-LIS on a TAP B707. 5 hours (of a six hour flight) of moderate turbulence - compounded by being seated in the very last row, thus getting the full effect of rudder and elevator deflections. I kid you not, I came away with bruised thighs from the constant bashing they got bouncing from armrest to armrest.

CREWS PLEASE NOTE: what you may categorise as light turbulence up front can well be moderate at back! So think about the poor buggers in the last rows :)

[This message has been edited by Hotel Tango (edited 09 December 2000).]

[Tricky Woo]

My first NFT (failed) was easily the worst flight of my life. Even now, I can't bear to think about it.

[Oceanic Airspace]

COA777:

What were you doing in LHR?? Surely, you guys don't operate into there?? Must've been a really terrible flight if you got lost and landed at the wrong airport!!!

:) :) :)

[This message has been edited by Oceanic Airspace (edited 09 December 2000).]

[HugMonster]

On one IR training ride, my instructor's debrief started with:-

"Well, that was going very nicely - then we walked out to the aircraft..."

[aisleman]

29th of October this year: AMS-LGW on a Cityflyer RJ100 - gale force winds, rain, windshear etc.

As stated above, probably would't have been that bad up front but scared the life out of me sitting at the very rear of the aircraft watching (or trying not to) the world outside tipping itself upside down (or was that us?).

Later found out that some larger planes had opted to divert to calmer skies.

Apart from that the RJ100 is a wonderful plane, very confortable and you really get the 'feeling' on flying, even as a humble pax.

Aisleman http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[fifthcolumns]

Going home in the back, not even in the right seat after been weathered in at my destination in somebody else's aircraft. After refusing to die trying to fly out IFR with zero IFR training. They sent an IR rated pilot and his smirking cronies to get the aeroplane. After they landed following an illegal below minimums NDB approach.They put me in the back and left the one they flew in behind. I had to pay for everybodys fun day out.
I was later grounded for flying in IMC by the CFI? Irony of ironies.
Lessons learned. Life isn't fair and doing the right thing can get you into as much trouble as not doing the right thing. And get an Instrument rating. Two months later I had one.

[This message has been edited by fifthcolumns (edited 09 December 2000).]

[SEAT 81A]

Summer of 94, SFO-LAX on UA shuttle. Still remember it well after 6 years so you know how bad it is.

After everyone on board, one engine failed to start. Reboard another plane and then found one cargo door didn't closed properly just before take off. Arrival was 2.5 hrs late and my original 3 hour connection time for my LAX-HKG flight (on CX) became only 30 min.

I asked the purser to let me seat close to the exit door and have ground staff help me with the trasfer. Didn't happen. I went to the UA desk for help after landed and the staff kindly point to the airport shuttle but stop and told me that's how I go to other terminals.

Fortunatly, there is a change in wind direction and the incoming CX plane from HKG was delayed for 2 hrs and the return fligh make up those 2 hrs completely. I still catch the flight and arrive HKG on time.

However, I do swear not to fly UA anymore.

[Foyl]

My GFPT. I was psyched out even before I got to the aircraft, and from that point, everything that could go wrong, went wrong. End result - the crappest flight of my life.

At least I remembered to untie the aircraft...

[steve757]

Two spring to mind. First was a long time ago; C130 12 hr night flight Port Stanley to Ascension,heavy thunderstorms,icing, mod turb for most of the trip, wx on mins for landing and total autopilot failure at 1000' on climbout!

Second was similar wx, but a 20 min positioning flight MAN LUT with a very skittish 64 tonne 757. I was equally knackered after both flights

[aisleman]

Another one springs to mind:

A propeller job from Lugano to Geneva over the Alps - I'm trying to look cool and professional in front of a colleague whom I'm taking round various European clients).

As I'm pointing out to her how beautiful the Alps looked, the plane hits a pocket of clean air (I think, I'm not a weatherman so don't slate me on that!) and decides to drop down rather sharpish to have a closer look.

I swear the propeller looked as if it had stopped for a second or two! The pilot looked cool as a cucumber though, so we didn't panic....much! And we tried to forget the connecting Saab waiting for us to go on to Dusseldorf.

aisleman http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[Gulf227]

Worst flight ever....

One springs to mind as it made the most impression at the time.

Just when I thought I had the Tiger by the tail, he turned around and bit me! I was a CPL with around 250 hours of which 50 where in the PA-44. I was out on my own on a VFR cross country from KGFK to KDLH (in the Midwestern US) one summer after noon.

To make a long, painfully story short, on the return leg I incountered sereve Thunderstorms and got the Fear of God put into me! What an afternoon...I was never so happy to be on the ground!

There has been others but none quite like that!

------------------
-----------
FLY SAFE!!!

[Smoketrails]

AMS to EMA in a BMA FK27, I have never experienced such a bumpy flight in my life! Stupid thing was, when we got down my fear and terror had turned into excitement and wanting more(I was very young, these days I would have unloaded a fair package in my pants!) I also was a victim of hitting a so called airpocket departing PMI in a LTU L1011, my Father(very experienced airtraveller) sitting next to me grabbed my hand in shear horror!

[Desk Driver]

After flying 10 and half hours to DFW (which nearly diverted because of an ill pax)

Sent to the wrong terminal by AA ground staff,

Sent back to original terminal by AA ground staff to gate A26

Got there and the flight was for Mexico city sent to gate A12 for my flight to Las Vegas

Got to A12 and flight delayed 1 hour due to late arriving acft. (Fair Enough)

Acft arrived cleaned catered etc and took 45 mins

Then we were boarded to find that there was a problem with baggage (Never found out what though) delayed further 40 mins

Left gate 2h 20 mins late got to the end of the runway and something broke went back to gate sat in the aircraft and waited 50 mins for an engineer to finally declare the acft US.( I'm not complaining though, best to find out 0 feet that 27'000 feet.)

Waited 3 hours for alternate equipment to arrive.

30 mins turnaround (Good going)

Arrived LAS 6 & half hours late and 24 hours after I'd woken up!

But I have to say Baggage aside I could'nt blame AA it was just one of those days!


------------------
-------------------------
You fly em we'll fill em!

[This message has been edited by Desk Driver (edited 15 December 2000).]

[Readability5]

The first time SSAT. After that first spin I thought I'd never fly again!

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

London Gatwick-Geneva, 27 April 1974, Piper Aztec. My second month as a newly fledged commercial pilot, heavily iced up with a full load of pax aboard, everything firewalled, still going down and unable to communicate with Geneva. Well, fortune smiled upon me that day, but I'm still convinced that it's the closest I've been to becoming a "Statistic" and I hadn't even really got started! (850 hours.)
"All good character building stuff" they said "COMMAND EXPERIENCE. It'll stand you in good stead." Personally, I still think I'd have learned more in the right hand seat of an F27, as I subsequently did. However, if I won the Lottery, I'd love to buy a nice old Aztec, but I wouldn't fly it in serious icing conditions!!

[Pax72]

Easy... Nov '91 Virgin Atlantic MIA to LGW. Delayed for 9 hours, and then finally told our plane hadn't left London. They chartered a Tower Air 747 with a different seat config so some of us were left behind,on take-off the lights went out in the cabin - completely. People screaming, kids crying... you get the picture! Diverted to Stansted on arrival, due to fog, behind two other VA jumbos, had to sit on plane for a further 3 hours before we could get off, toilets blocked and stinking etc. Bussed down to LGW.. arrived home nearly 24 hours late. Lovely.... (but we did get some nice compensation from RB and occasionally still fly with 'em!!) Now... JMC - there's an airline I'd never fly with again... but that's another story!

[G-OOFY]

BE-76 Wife and I off to have pleasant W/E. N67(wingsfield, Philadelphia) - NIA (Niagra falls) nightime middle of winter. No heating. Unforcast icing, full power to maintain height, still decending!. Divert to ELZ(Wellsville-only airport we could make) 40 knot X-wind, uncontrolled field, closed. localiser approach on minimums.

Turned on the lights (airport) yippee. Turned on the lights (aircraft) nothing! (covered in ice, landing lights and windscreen). Realised the snow hadn't been cleared 5" deep eek. On touchdown upwind wheel digs in, a/c yaws! landing happened sideways (fortunately mains didn't collapse). X-wind weathercocks a/c further.

On shutting down engines a BIG sigh of relief echos out.

In the pitch black I walk off the wing to the step and fall onto my arse (a/c step covered in ice) very painfully for weeks.

Live and Learn.

Rescued 1/2 hour later by a local Pittsburg Approach rang him out of bed! We said our thanks to all and hired the biggest, warmest car we could. We drove the remaining distance.

[Unusual Attitude]

Not my worst ever flight but makes me chuckle....

Flying happily across the wilds of Scotland last week in my trusty C172, applying regular carb heat as you do when the conditions prevail.
Went to apply the carb heat again a few mins later and the knob & pushrod came off in my hand !!
Not scary or anything but the confused look on my face must have been a picture !!

Decided a prompt return to land would be a wise move after that before the coughing and spluttering commenced.

Similar thing happened to me with a car gearstick once......

Is someone trying to tell me something ??

[Groundloop]

July '86 Calgary-LHR by Air Canada TriStar 500. Checked-in. Flight delayed 1 hour - "technical fault". Delayed further hour. Then another hour. Then another hour. Then cancelled - crew out of hours. Now past midnight. Arrange special 727 flight to Toronto - no guarantee of onward connection. Then no crew available for 727! Calgary Stampede on - no hotel rooms left in town. Bussed to Edmonton. Bus has faulty gearbox and cannot go over 35 mph - 180 miles to Edmonton! Finally arrive Edmonton 8.00 am and collapse into bed. Arrive Edmonton airport and check-in 2.00 pm. TriStar departs Calgary for Edmonton. Returns Calgary - fault recurred! Flight now completely and forever cancelled. Some pax put on flight to Vancouver (500 miles in wrong direction) for connection to London. Rest of pax (me included) booked on evening flight to LHR. Not offered any accommodation - 6 hrs to flight. Kick-up fuss - offered day room in hotel. Next to swimming pool with lots of screaming kids. Finally arrive LHR 26.5 hours late. Air Canada - never again!!!!

[Snakum]

Handcuffed and shackled to a cocaine trafficker while under armed guard by a US Marshall, for a one hour hop in a Rio 'Scareways' turboprop from Killeen, TX to Lawton, OK in 1989.

Snakum

[L J R]

As a QFI in the back of a Lead in Fighter upwind with a 'simulated' EFATO [single engine aircraft]- I reduced the throttle to test my stud in the EFATO [read Ejection Drill].

The engine did not respond to me when I took over after Bloggs dutifully simulated abandonment.


Actually was the last one I ever pulled. Wonder why?

Bloody QFIs think they are God - Well I'm not god, but bejeeeezzzz - I thought I would see her soon.

[Bleater]

A full Brittania 767 gatwick to New Zealand in a seat 4 inches narrower than I am, next to the toilets. 3 stops and about 30 hours elapsed time. No sleep. Never did work out the real reason for having to take the hand baggage each time we left the Aircraft. Crew and Aircraft OK, just no room. Would go on a one sector flight with them but unless you are small or get the few big seats at the front of the cabin-no further. Took about a week to recover.

[buck-rogers]

Trapped in an Argentinian 747 (nice leather!) on a connecting flight to Paris with a full aircraft with screaming, restless Latin American kids charging around and fighting and shouting something accompanied with spanish type gestures.

I thought I was going insane and nearly killed them all. Thankfully we weren't going the whole way to South America.

Dont cry for me ....

[GalleyWench]

How about working an ORD-LHR 777, hitting severe turbulence 1 hour out and having ankle broken and protruding from leg? After waiting 8 hours to be seen in a glorious NHS hospital, told I need surgery. Got to spend Xmas and New Years 2000 in hospital.........

[Avman]

Sorry to hear that GalleyWench. But your plight made me think. The cockpit crew fly with their seat belts loosely fastened. The passengers are strongly advised to do the same even when the sign is not illuminated. I reckon you F/As should be paid "danger" money for the job you do!

A few weeks ago my wife and another lady (in adjacent aisle seats) were quick enough to stop a runaway trolley from crashing into the back of an unsuspecting F/A. It was a close call and would for sure have caused her serious injury.

So get on to your unions to negotiate a "danger" allowance!

This is going to make me popular with airline managers :)

[ShyTorque]

It just wasn't our day. First we had an engine failure on a MAUW take off just before CDP. Put the aircraft down and stopped just short of the fence.

Having changed to a different aircraft we got a FIRE 2 caption just as we entered cloud. Having initially dealt with that and closed down number 2, FIRE 1 illuminated. We asked for an immediate radar to land but the number 1 engine failed downwind. I carried out a downwind 180 degree IMC autorotation. Just as I was about to pop the floats the co-pilot got the Number 1 started again and we climbed back up to safety altitude, still in cloud. Unfortunately the compass had de-synchronised and the radios had failed. We dead-reckoned back to the overhead on the standby instruments and got one radio working. ATC told us that the cloud had just reached the ground and the ILS was now off line. At that stage the cockpit lighting failed. I reached down and found the emergency torch which had almost flat batteries. Holding it under my chin I allowed myself a quick look at the fuel gauges. It was now obvious we had a major fuel leak. Mental arithmetic calculations told me I would get one attempt at a straight in approach via the NDB to Rig Delta 7. ATC were unworkable again due to the radio interference caused by the approaching CB clouds. From memory I carried out a timed turn onto the required heading and attempted to tune the beacon but the needle was oscillating wildly as St. Elmo's fire danced along the wiper arms. The co-pilot began to complain of chest pains and collapsed in his seat. He had obviously had a major heart attack. I rapidly unstrapped, administered CPR and put him into the recovery position. The passengers, realising something was wrong as I laid him on the floor between the seats, began screaming. I quickly reassured them and having got back to my seat, I noticed the main gearbox oil pressure reducing below the minimum. Not to worry, the manufacturer had once test run a similar gearbox for 45 minutes with nil oil pressure. Heartened by this, I suddenly realised by checking my DR calculations against the clock that it was now time to complete the pre-landing checklist and begin the descent. Struggling across to the co-pilots vacant seat I rapidly pumped down the undercarriage which had failed to lower. I climbed back into my own seat and completed the approach on the stopwatch. My relief was possibly apparent as the rig came into view at 200 feet. I steeled myself for the single engine landing to the helipad. Setting up the perfect approach angle, there was a sudden yaw to the left and I realised the tail rotor drive shaft had failed. Bother. We wouldn't make the helideck after all. Still, shutting down the remaining engine was quite straight forward and again my spirits soared as the co-pilot began moaning loudly. He was alive! I deftly deployed the floats and flared to a perfect zero speed engine-off landing along the swell. Shortly after the rotor rpm slowed to a gentle standstill one of the passengers came forward to ask what time we would be on the rig. Smiling kindly, I took him by the arm and directed him to the waiting rescue launch pulling alongside. Lunch was smoked salmon. The co-pilot made a full recovery.

Later that day, just before my next departure the chief engineer advised me what had caused the minor challenges on the flight. The aircraft warranty had expired some hours before departure.

I hate sim rides with other instructors.

[goochieboy]

Many moons ago, on my first ATC flight at (gawp) Cambridge Airport in a Bulldog. Did the usual naive ar cadet thing and ate the entire contents of a very large lunch bag in under three minutes. Got into an a/c. Then I made my first mistake.

I said I knew what I was doing.

"Fair Enough" said the nice chap next to me, "we'll do some aerobatics..."

...needless to say the ham sandwich experienced negative G's pretty quickly and decorated HM's air farce horror bag pretty quickly...

(almost as bad as spin awareness & avoidance in a C152 aerobat with a dented leading edge that caused it to rotate about twice as fast as normal...not pleasant http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

[JJflyer]

As a PAX it had to be Iberia flight about 2 years ago from Miami to Madrid in a beat up 747-200 last row middle seat and noisy smoking people ( No smoking flight) around me.
No drink service for the first 3 hours. Meal was so bad I could not tell if it was bird or fish :)
Ability of the crew to speak English left lot to be desired.
I had a pleasure to fly with Iberia again about 2 weeks ago from ORD to MAD and I can tell you that this was a totally different Iberia. Crew was nice and polite. Airplane was new, food was good and service Excellent.

JJ