Dragonair A333 structural damage

[readywhenreaching]

AvHerald reported maybe the 1st ever write-off in KA´s history.

Bounced landing resulted in a nlg 1st touchdown on runway 04 at Penang.

Accident: Dragon A333 at Penang on Sep 16th 2015, hard landing (http://avherald.com/h?article=48c9f93e&opt=0)

some info also here
jacdec.de (http://www.jacdec.de/2015/09/21/2015-09-16-dragonair-airbus-a330-300-subst-damaged-in-hard-landing-at-penang/)

[No Fly Zone]

Umm? Yes! I'd call 2.8g a Very Hard Landing, especially if it was Nose First. Where does one draw the line between "Hard Landing," and "Crash?" Is it g-load, damage injury (or death) or what? Nose fists at 2.8 is a bit more than just hard.:eek:

[Airbubba]

Umm? Yes! I'd call 2.8g a Very Hard Landing, especially if it was Nose First.

These nosegear landings are in the news the past couple of years:

Southwest fires pilot of jet that landed on nose gear at LaGuardia | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-southwest-pilot-idUSBRE9911AH20131002)

Nose wheel landing: DGCA cancels pilot's licence - The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nose-wheel-landing-DGCA-cancels-pilots-licence/articleshow/7586108.cms)

[gcal]

And quite a few years ago as well:

VC10 G-ARTA (http://www.british-caledonian.com/G-ARTA.html)

[bugged on the right]

Lots of similar incidents these days. I wonder if they have anything to do with the experience levels in modern flight decks? If so then all the savings generated by cost cutting are wiped out in one go.
It is a pity the whole cost is not borne by the airline concerned but I suppose the insurance industry will respond by increased premiums or eventually saying enough is enough. It all comes back to money.

[ADFUS]

It is a pity the whole cost is not borne by the airline concerned

I don't know what you are talking about but all the Dragonair cadets go through fully funded training in Adelaide.

[sinkingship]

The aircraft is not written off, the aircraft is stuck as no hangar facilities are available in PEN.
I heard there is no structural damage but some gear components have exceeded their design limitations and need replacement, from the initial inspections CX would rather fly the aircraft to HKG or XMN for repair rather than ship the A/C jack and other stuff to support.

[Airbubba]

Here's a pax narrative of the event from the comment thread of the Av Herald article linked above:

I was a passenger on this flight.

The plane 'hit' the ground harder than any landing I have ever experienced in a torrential down pour. The main wheels first then a bounce off the ground the nose dipped fully forward then all the landing gear crashed back onto the runway. I had a window seat and we were half way down the wet runway.

The engines went into reverse there was heavy breaking until the far end. The whole plane shuddered. landing done by the female copilot ( I think ) flight attendants screamed as we touched down. thought the engine was going to hit the runway first such was the rolling motion.

expected the captain to apologise as we taxied to parking but no .knew the plane was damaged, there was starnge burning smell and it creeked as we moved slowly to parking. Children were crying and I was stunned and traumatised. In the terminal as we de planned I could see what looked like smoke from the tyres and the captain sat in his seat with his head in his hands. I thought he was crying.

[lomapaseo]

I thought he was crying.

A he? I don't suppose the female was standing in the doorway getting high fives?

[LLuCCiFeR]

Here's a pax narrative of the event from the comment thread of the Av Herald article linked above:Yeah, those well-informed 'expert' comments on AVherald are always worth reading...NOT! :rolleyes: :ugh:

[N1 Vibes]

a) Suspect none of you above have experienced a landing like this
b) Imagine the pax was a brain-surgeon, how amused they would be about how little you know to describe a tumour removal operation
c) Get a life.

I'll get my own coat.

[Airbubba]

a) Suspect none of you above have experienced a landing like this

I've sure had some landings I'd like to do over.

Listening to the liveatc recording, Dragon 691 was cleared direct somewhere, almost certainly KENDI, then cleared for the ILS 04. The voice on the radio was male, sounded to me like a 'North' American, couldn't hear the tower side of the conversation on this segment. They reported off the runway at the end on Alpha, same voice.

Does the FO taxi at Dragonair? I suspect it would be the same procedures as Cathay.

[Algol]

As a matter of interest - any of you ever made a PA apologising for a heavy landing? What would you even say?
Doesn't it open a can of worms regarding legal actions by pax claiming neck/back injuries?

[srobarts]

As a matter of interest - any of you ever made a PA apologising for a heavy landing?
No, but been an SLF on a BA Shuttle flight into Heathrow in the eighties when one was made. The 757 made quite a hard landing. The flight was sent to a remote stand at Terminal 1 and was waiting longer than usual for the steps to be set up. Passengers had seen the steps and coaches arrive.
The Captain then made the announcement that the first officer would not call the steps in until the Captain told us that he was at the controls for the hard landing and not the first officer.
A round of applause from the passengers followed.

[wanabee777]

I had to fess up once and admit to the passengers that I had just reduced the field elevation of KFLL by about 3".:O

[Stanwell]

I know most of us have heard it before, but..

A little old lady, as she was about to disembark, asked the smiling FO..
"Tell me sonny, did we just land or were we shot down?"

[golfyankeesierra]

Apologize for a hard landing? No; but when something out of the ordinary happens you can (must) always explain. Usually highly appreciated.

[captainsmiffy]

When I was a newbie FO on the Dash 8.....we had just landed (felt like we had been shot down, although, thankfully it was the captains leg) and the Captain had stood up - why, I dont know, as he had to face his audience disembarking - when a sweet looking little old lady (could have been your grandma) collared him and, in a very upper crust, loud and demanding voice asked of him..."Young man, was that your landing.....?". He nodded and she then said "....because it was fu**ing awful!!" In about as piercing a voice as you could imagine!! I was absolutely wetting myself in the flight deck....you wouldnt have thought that the little old lady could have possibly ever heard such language!!

[Metro man]

I was a pax on a B777 one day and after touchdown the PF, who I am sure was an F/O under training or still green lost directional control. The tyres screeched as we lurched left and right in response to his ever increasing over corrections.

I could tell instantly when the Captain took over as the rudder inputs reduced and we straightened up. The cabin was very quiet however no announcement was made.

[dream747]

Why would it be considered not appropriate to apologise for a hard landing? Most of the skippers I've flown with do seem to think that there is absolutely no need to say anything to the passengers. Surely a light hearted apology would lighten things up?:}

[Linerider]

Many years ago at Arlanda when we were sat at the hold, a UK airline landed HARD in front of us, and bounced before landing again. The aircraft taxied off the runway, and shortly afterwards we heard a rustling noise on the radio, followed by "you f***ing clown" in a hysterical tone, more rustling noises were heard, followed by "oops" and the transmission clicked off. A few moments later, the same voice was heard talking in a very calm manner to ATC, as if nothing had happened.

[viking767]

"you land......you stand" in the doorway saying goodbye to the pax.

[llondel]

I'm sure there's something in JB about it - cabin crew always makes a broadcast to the passengers on the taxi in, in such a case it starts something like "Welcome to the very hard tarmac at xxx airport..."

[F-16GUY]

Any pictures of the damage?

[Huck]

"Take that, runway..."

[de facto]

"you land......you stand" in the doorway saying goodbye to the pax.

Funny,because of the yanks,we have an armored flight deck door and now you are saying it has to be opened while pax are still in the aircraft?

[wanabee777]

"Folks, my copilot just gave me a 9 for that landing...



...too bad it was on the Richter Scale"

[Mascot PPL]

Hardest landing (as a PAX) for me was a BA 757 into Manchester at night. Full on carrier landing, 2-3 overhead bins popped open, not much of a bounce but we hit VERY hard (experience 1,000+ flights as a PAX and PPL (A) own landings).

FO came on the intercom and said "Sorry about the rather firm landing, but those last 10 ft or so always take me by surprise...." Laugher and clapping all round. Plus he was standing at the front when we went out - respect earned and no one hurt.

[Stanwell]

Was tuned to the Tower arrivals freq when a 744 of a well-known Asian carrier landed about 20ft too high.
Ouch! Everybody around heard it and felt it.

The very dry transmission from the tower was... "Umm, when you've put your teeth back in, call Ground on..."

[sunnybunny]

Some years ago as passenger on a holiday charter in to Manchester at night in a 757.

After a hard landing the co-pilot came on and said

'This aircraft is equipped with auto landing and every so often we have to test it to make sure it works.

That landing was done by the automatic system and I apologise for it'

[tatelyle]

PA announcement quote:

"Welcome to **** ladies and gentlemen, our landing time today was five past, six minutes past, and seven minutes past the hour....."