MA-60 vs warthog @ Harare

[readywhenreaching]

happened yesterday. MA-60 went off the runway took unknown damage..all on board safe..minus the pig
Wild pig grounds plane

JACDEC news (http://www.jacdec.de/news/news.htm)
+
IOL (http://www.iol.co.za/general/news/newsprint.php?art_id=nw20091103221644343C630982&sf=)

[rodmur]

Trying to avoid the pig they put the wingtip into the ground

[Ted T. Beefcake]

Not a good week for UM it seems:

Air Zim Flight Diverted After Power Cuts (http://www.theindependent.co.zw/local/24083-air-zim-flight-diverted-after-power-cuts.html)



Thursday, 29 October 2009 20:34 AN Air Zimbabwe flight from South Africa on Sunday was forced to divert to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport in Bulawayo after failing to land at Harare International Airport due to intermittent landing systems failure triggered by electricity cuts. The airline’s chief executive officer, Peter Chikumba, who was aboard the daily UM362 flight to and from Johannesburg, yesterday confirmed the incident.

The flight was redirected to Bulawayo after the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) systems failed to grant pilots permission to land because the runway had no lights.

Passengers aboard the plane spent several hours in Bulawayo before flying back and arriving in Harare after midnight when the problem was fixed.

“I can confirm that there was a flight delay, but the Civil Aviation Authority can best explain reasons for the divert (to Bulawayo),” Chikumba said in a telephone interview with the Zimbabwe Independent.

Caaz runs all airports in the country.

The authority’s general manager, David Chaota, last night confirmed the incident saying there “is a problem on the runway and of power supply”.

“There are serious challenges on both power and runway lights and we are working on them,” Chaota said. “According to our plan, in two weeks time we should have a solution on the runway problem, but for power it’s a 2010 issue because we are engaging other players like Zesa.”

He said the flight “was on hold” for 30 minutes before it was diverted to Bulawayo.

Sources at Harare International Airport said the plane was diverted after generators at the terminal failed to power the airport after scheduled electricity load-shedding by Zesa. The power utility last week embarked on a two week load-shedding programme expected to cut power by 250 megawatts.

The flight’s delay, sources said, came after a South African Airways flight was “recently” forced to divert to Bulawayo airport, prompting concerns of Caaz’s preparedness to host international airlines.

“Our aviation is facing serious problems,” said the source. “Passengers scheduled to arrive in Harare early ended up arriving at 1am due to the flight delays. South African Airways has also experienced similar problems and this is not desirable for the industry.”

CAAZ recently won an award which “merits International Gold Star for Quality in the realm of customer satisfaction, innovation and technology as established in QC1OO Total Quality management control”.

Meanwhile, unlike in recent years where the national airline struggled to remain operational due to fuel problems that hit the country, Air Zimbabwe is currently seeking US$750 million capital to renew its aircraft fleet and hanger fire protection system.

If a potential deal sails through, government could surrender 60% shareholding of the struggling airline to a private investor.

[Cubbie]

Guess someone must have stolen the fence around FVHA ...where are all the poachers?:p

Warthog grounds Air Zimbabwe flight

Warthog grounds Air Zimbabwe flight - World - Javno (http://www.javno.com/en-world/warthog-grounds-air-zimbabwe-flight_280305)

The plane had 34 passengers who were going to Bulawayo but fortunately they are all safe as no-one was injured.

Published: November 03, 2009 20:35h

An Air Zimbabwe flight was forced to make an emergency stop at Harare
International airport on Tuesday after it hit a warthog on the runway, the
company's CEO said.

- Unfortunately our plane which was going to Bulawayo hit a warthog on the
runway and was forced to make an emergency brakes - stop, Peter Chikumba,
Air Zimbabwe CEO told AFP.

- The plane had 34 passengers who were going to Bulawayo but fortunately
they are all safe as no-one was injured. -

The Chinese-made MA 60 aircraft hit the animal while taxiing down the runway minutes after the departure of Democratic Republic of Congo leader Joseph Kabila, who was in Harare for talks with the country's unity government.

A passenger onboard the 1715 GMT flight told AFP that the plane skidded off
the runway after it hit the warthog, a commonly found wild pig with
distinctive protruding tusks.

- The passengers were all evacuated but some of us are scared and
traumatised over the whole incident. The plane is damaged as it skidded off
the runway and headed toward the bushes. -

[Ted T. Beefcake]

Actually it was 5 warthogs it plowed into, not just one:

"...it is understood that the same aircraft had earlier in the day failed to depart from the Harare International Airport for Bulawayo after developing technical problems soon after take-off.
Sources said after the problem had been fixed and the flight rescheduled, it struck five warthogs, which had most likely escaped from the nearby Mbizi Game Park, and again failed to take the passengers to Zimbabwe’s second city.
Minister Goche said: "An Air Zimbabwe MA60 aircraft impacted with warthogs during the take-off roll on November 3, 2009 at approximately 19:36. This resulted in a rejected take-off.
"The aircraft was on the take-off roll and was about to lift off the ground when it hit the five warthogs.
"The (plane’s) nose and left main landing gears collapsed after the impact. The aircraft veered off to the left side of the runway and stopped off the runway with damage on the engine propeller and on the wing tip.""

The Herald (http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12050&cat=1)

[Coil]

There must be some kind of mistake here , I mean how in the hect can there be 1 never mind 5 warthog alive in Harare ?? My heart goes out to these wiry muddy beasts ...

[Cubbie]

"Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Deve-lopment Minister confirmed the mishap...The minister, his permanent secretary, Air Zimbabwe staff and Civil Aviation officials attended to the passengers after the accident."....-Wow I guess there is still a shortage of dedicated airport emergency crews:\
Question now is:
A) will the ma60 be left in the grass for ever?
B) its already back in service?
C) who had roast pig that night?

[skyloone]

"...it is understood that the same aircraft had earlier in the day failed to depart from the Harare International Airport for Bulawayo after developing technical problems soon after take-off.
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Seems tricky for them to decide whether the a/c was airborne or not?
Those wild pigs can be a tad bothersome... Had a late go around or two due to them.

[Ted T. Beefcake]

@ Coil:


.......problem had been fixed and the flight rescheduled, it struck five warthogs, which had most likely escaped from the nearby Mbizi Game Park, and again failed to........
http://img239.imagevenue.com/loc507/th_18393_mapjpg_exposure_122_507lo.jpg (http://img239.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=18393_mapjpg_exposure_122_507lo.jpg)

Mbizi is actually a well stocked game reserve in close proximity to FVHA.

[The SSK]

Lots of entertaining information in The Times today

Pigs don't fly: Air Zimbabwe plane crashes into bushpig on runway - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6908780.ece)