UPS218 squawk 7700 diverts to Heathrow

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

I see that UPS218, squawking 7700, from CDG to Philadelphia, has just landed at LHR, having diverted from over the Brest peninsular. I know these things happen all the time but wouldn't a French airport or even Stansted have been a more logical alternate in the early morning rush ?

[nitpicker330]

Nature of the failure and it's effects, closest Airfield, longest runway, best weather, best rescue and firefighting services available, crew familiarity, terrain, company port......

All the things that go into the mix in the Captains head.

I'm sure he did what he needed to do and the professional ATC in London did their usual brilliant job.

Well done.

[roulishollandais]

A freight plane like UPS diverts, if possible, at the nearest open (schedule) accessible (weather, limitations) international UPS base able to handle the freight quickly to destination and resolve the problem and new problems (replacement plane, spare parts, crew). Probably it was LHR.
I.e.Emery freight, T.O. Maastricht, Fog at destination Roissy at 4:00 or 5:00 LT, we tried the approach, and then if impossible we diverted to Brussels or Cologne .

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

Thanks I take your point but then why not just go back to CDG - closer, still open and active, point of origin, similar distance to go, known weather ?

[hampshireandy]

Heathrow isnt a UPS base, UPS aircraft never use LHR. Stansted is, CDG is. So the question remains, why divert to LHR?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Instead of arguing on here, why not ring the Captain and ask him what he thimks he was doing?

[OldLurker]

More to the point, wait and see. Since the subject flight landed in the UK, if anything significant happened we'll get a good analysis in due course.

[emeritus]

Well said HD !

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

:ok: HD

Heathrow isnt a UPS base, UPS aircraft never use LHR. Stansted is, CDG is. So the question remains, why divert to LHR?With

squawking 7700At no point in emergency handling is 'fly to the most convenient ( i.e. company base) airport' a consideration.

[con-pilot]

Instead of arguing on here, why not ring the Captain and ask him what he thimks he was doing?

Probably too late, as he's most likely already at his girlfriend's* flat that is near Heathrow. :p




* Or boyfriend's as the case may be.


And no I don't mean it that way, after all, the captain could be a lady.

[roulishollandais]

Transporting Li-ion batteries are better equiped firemen in LHR ?

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

@ HD
I had no intention of starting an argument, this was just an innocent enquiry as it seemed strange to fly to the busiest airport around rather than return to CDG, Orly or elsewhere closer or at a similar distance.
As for ringing the pilot, as you can probably guess as I posted the question, he's not in my phone book :ugh:

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

@ Fox3Banana
I don't recall saying convenient, I said logical (ie having weighed up all the circumstances of the emergency and all the options for a diversion). But thanks for your help and insight :bored:

[roulishollandais]

Brest-London=470 km
Brest-Paris =590 km

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

GMM - My previous post was a bit sarcastic; my apologies. However, the fact that an airfield is your company's base is only a matter of convenience after the landing - it has zero influence on dealing with the inflight emergency.
Nearest, best runway you can reach with the jet in the state it's in is what is wanted.

[nitpicker330]

Yep, read my post above.

That is what the Captain would have done.

[seventhreedriver]

The weather around STN this morning was far from ideal. Depending on when this happened, this might have been a reason...

[J.O.]

A slight right turn towards LHR at altitude also takes up far fewer miles and minutes than executing a 180 degree turn back to CDG. There was an old country song that included the line,

"Gimme 40 acres and I'll turn this rig around".

Think miles instead of minutes.

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

The weather around STN this morning was far from ideal. Depending on when this happened, this might have been a reason...

Good point, perhaps CDG had a threat of storms too. As pointed out above the true reason will come out sometime, somehow, I was just curious.

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

A slight right turn towards LHR at altitude also takes up far fewer miles and minutes ...
Think miles instead of minutes.

Actually on FR24 he did a couple of large left and right orbits before setting out for Heathrow.

[Hotel Tango]

GMM, posters like you are a pain. You ask a fair question and you get good answers from professionals. But that's not good enough and you need to ask what is basically the same question again! Then when posters become a tad cynical with you (quite deservedly) your "innocent little me" defences go up: I had no intention of starting an argument, this was just an innocent enquiry At the end of the day, my friend, only the Captain will know why he made that decision. He (and quite possibly UPS Ops) no doubt had multiple factors to consider (as already explained to you) and the final outcome was to divert to LHR. He, unlike you, is a professional and he excersised his professionalism by making a decision based on all the information that was at his disposal at the time. So be it.

[wiggy]

Here we go again.

A 7700 squawk does not always equal throw the aircraft on the nearest runway, and it's also quite possible ATC requested 7700.

[bri21]

HEATHROW DIRECTOR "Instead of arguing on here, why not ring the Captain and ask him what he thinks he was doing?"

Brilliant! A thousand recommends.

Why do :mad: always gravitate to forums like this one?

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I was on freq and it puzzled me I admit.

7700 was at the request of French ATC and he requested fuel dumping for which three minutes would be needed and this was granted upon descending to 30,000ft. Upon enquiry from French ATC as to the nature of the problem the repeated reply was "a mechanical problem".

After a few minutes French ATC said that Heathrow ATC wanted to know the exact nature of the problem. With what seemed like some hesitation the UPS replied with something like "we have been told by Company that we have a mechanical problem but we do not know what it is".

Cue puzzled expressions across the sector.

Shortly after we left the frequency and spent the next hour speculating and theorising. Never did come up with a theory.

I'm sure it was all perfectly reasonable but it did sound curious.

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

I was on freq and it puzzled me I admit.............

Thanks very much for your input, sounds like Heathrow ATC were wondering why them just as I was :-)

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

Why do :mad: always gravitate to forums like this one?

Perhaps you ought to answer your own abusive question, you have far more experience than I do

[Golf-Mike-Mike]

Nature of the failure and it's effects, closest Airfield, longest runway, best weather, best rescue and firefighting services available, crew familiarity, terrain, company port.....

Thanks for your reply. Although sadly I've attracted a few put-downs here, I'm a pilot, I share the same airspace and airwaves as professional pilots, I'm here to learn and hopefully use that insight to everyone's benefit.

[nitpicker330]

No problems bud.

[eastern wiseguy]

we have been told by Company that we have a mechanical problem but we do not know what it is".

Quite where to start with that I don't know.....if you DO ring the Captain .....post his reply here :)

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Oh, we're in Spotters Corner now. Odd.

My sources suggest it as a concern about a thrust reverser system.