747 catches fire on runway!

[Wannabe Flyer]

Aircraft catches fire in Mumbai; all passengers safe (http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/aircraft_catches_fire_in_mumbai_all_passengers_safe.php)

[lomapaseo]

This one doesn't look minor to me. I hope that there is some follow up news on this.

[ManaAdaSystem]

Brings back memories from Mumbai. Just how many firemen can you gather around an Air India 747 # 1 engine?

Looks like burn marks (soot?) on the wing, so no, minor is not the word here. Lucky it didn't happen around V1 or in the air.

Not often we get to see a 747 with the chutes out like this.

[markch2000]

initial reports from India are saying it was caused by a fuel leak.

Not sure how accurate that is though.

[Schumi - Red Baron]

Here's the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEf96_WK0Hg#)

[Broomstick Flier]

Judging by the image on the link on post #1, if this is indeed a runway, I'm for sure concerned about the Indian standard for straightness :}

Either they quickly exited the runway, or it all unfolded while taxing to runway 27.

BF

[sky jet]

I watched it from my cockpit and that video does not do it justice. Before the fire trucks got there the flames were well up above the fuselage. I thought I was about to witness some serious damage for a few seconds. This happened on the taxiway right in front of the firehouse or this might have been worse.

Jet

[Reimers]

There might have been doubts about the effectiveness of the rescue services in India. I am glad that they have proven in this instance that they are really up to the job. Well done! :ok:

[lomapaseo]

from the persistence of the fire shown in the video it looks like the initial issue would be the location of the fuel leak vs the shut-off valve in the pylon.

[ATC Watcher]

on the runway ?
the news report clearly says :
as it was taxiing for take off.

[Super VC-10]

Jacdec states that the accident occurred during pushback.

JACDEC - Current News (http://www.jacdec.de/news/news.htm)

[lomapaseo]

One or two more pictures and an airport map ought to solve what source to believe.

By now some of the passengers must have gone on TV as well with their opinions.

[Anders Nilsson]

Picture of the aircraft afer the fire was extinguished: Photos: Boeing 747-437 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-India/Boeing-747-437/1574284/L/)

Anders

[rmac]

Looking at the mobile phone footage, a lot of the fuel appeared to be burning on the ground in a pool under the aircraft.

Is it possible that if the aircraft was airborne at the time the fire started the effects would have been less serious as fuel from the leak would drain away in the airflow, giving the crew time to extinguish the fire before too much damage would be done ??

[Wannabe Flyer]

Fire seems to have started at push back. As usual the over zealous, ill informed media has taken a combative stance. The issue now is not that why the fire started, but in pictures it seems slides were deployed on the side of the fire also. This is a safety violation they are screaming. AI in it's defense states the slides on the fire side were deployed at a later time. Media is calling for suspension of the entire crew especially the pilots who in their words deployed the slides from the wrong side :confused:.

From posts it seems sky jet was on site so some of his descriptions of the evacuation which AI is stating took 30 seconds :confused: only.... would offer us a true picture as to what happened and how it unfolded.

So now the issue at hand according to Media is

1) Did the crew violate the evac procedures?
2) Was the fire caused because it is a 14 year old plane
3) Whose head do we get on a stick

Actual question I have is

1) What
2) Why
3) How
4) What can we learn from it?

And oh yes if 213 people got out safely without a burn or a broken bone lets give the crew benefit of doubt :D.....

[sky jet]

I had just blocked in down at the domestic side and was still up on the com radio as we ran the checklist. I heard the follow me truck tell a VT-... aircraft that he had a fuel leak. I did not pay much attention as I thought it was a small GA aircraft on the other side of the field. I then heard the follow me guy state that it was a very large fuel leak and in a rising tone of voice to shut off the engines. Then he began to yell FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!, and I looked out my window to see what appeared to be the whole side of the 747 on fire with flames over the top of the aircraft and a large puddle of fuel on the ground burning. I turned to tell my FO to look and opened the side window to yell down to my ground crew to look over at it. Very soon after the fire trucks arrived and that is about where the video above picks up. I personally thought the fire crew did a great job. The AI crew may have had a few moments of hesitation as I don't think they knew it was them leaking at first. I mean as airline crew we are all used to being addressed by our flight number and not the reg #. All in all it looked like the AI cockpit crew did about as well as could be expected. As to the slides, I was looking from the back and left of the A/C and there was so much smoke and flame I can not really comment on the evac. They did have pax wandering around on the ground, but keeping pax together after leaving an airplane is like hearding cats even under the best of conditions.

Jet

[lomapaseo]

In general

Fires on the ground threaten the aircraft and its occupants different than fires whilst air borne. Ground fires associated with fuel leaks are aggravated when the aircraft stops and the burning fuel puddles underneath. If the fuel leak can be shut off and the aircraft moved away from the puddle things will get better as long as the cabin is not breeched.

If there is only a fuel leak then the ignition is quite probable when the aircraft stops over the puddle with engines running.

The follow on investigation will likley reveal all the facts in this event so I don't wish to second guess it from just reading the news.

[foxmoth]

As far as deploying the "wrong" slides go, the general view is that the cabin crew at each door assess the situation at that door and decide to deploy or not - it may be that even with a fire on your side of the aircraft, if the wind is not blowing the fire towards your door it will be best to open the door and speed the evac.
Seems to me a good job done by all here:ok:

[HAWK21M]

Great job by the fireservices....The proximity of the fire station & taxi path helped.
Looks like a Fuel leak from #1Engine Fuel SOV.
The preliminary report will be out soon.We'll know.
regds
MEL.

[leewan]

Is that a P&W or a GE engine ?

[India Four Two]

The TV News video in Post 1 clearly shows no left-hand doors open or slides deployed during the initial attack by the fire engines.

[bingomakintosh]

While watching the whole episode from another taxiway, i can definately say I saw pax exiting the aircraft from the Left rear chutes, then running around the tail when they realised what side they were on.

The most comical part of the event was as the pax left the aircraft they proceded to vacate the area asap, who wouldn't. However the point to which they were running was the active runway. I guess one or two pax looked up and saw the 777 on short final materialise out of the murk, then they all decided it was safer to run back to the burning 747.

Since it was India all my crew and I could do was shake our heads and laugh. Lucky no one was hurt is all i can say.

BM

[Amevoice]

Why engineer is suspended till then he performed his duty as per check list. when aircraft was leave parking bay his duty was over, after that engine may take fire or anything else. it may happen with anyone. :confused:

[Whiskey Zulu]

Further to Foxmoth's post........:ok:

In 'theory,' it is considered unwise to open exits on the same side as a fire. In practice there are many variables to be considered. The British Airtours B737 disaster at MAN showed that you should never 'discount' exits on the same side as a fire. The only 'useable' exit on that aircraft controlled by crew was the front port exit. Both rear exits and the port overwing exit were affected by fire and the FWD starboard exit jammed. The FWD port exit was initially ignored as SOP's at the time stated not to open exits on the same side as a fire. It was eventually opened out of necessity!

It is the cabin crew member at the door, on the day, that decides whether an exit is useable or not, provided it is not directly affected by fire.

For this reason, my company's SOP's do not recommend that Op crew nominate which exits to use in the "Evacuate, Evacuate" PA. They can not see the extent of any external fire.