Wingtip lost from Thomas Cook A332 en route to Cuba

[bnt]

A Thomas Cook flight to Cuba had to return to Manchester this afternoon after losing the port wingtip midflight. FR24 track here (https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/mt2652/#dde36af). Landing was normal. DM article here (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4640338/Thomas-Cook-plane-makes-emergency-landing-broken-wing.html).

What's not in the article is that the flight was over two hours late taking off, and before takeoff a passenger noted that ground crew were patching said wingtip with metal tape and took a picture (https://twitter.com/wgcdrspqr/status/879272506187816960). "Not sure I will make it to Cuba", he said.

I hope there isn't some Atlantic fishing boat with a new hole in it ...

[piper pervert]

It looks to me like the winglet was removed before flight and a speed tape repair was carried out. It's perfectly acceptable practice, the missing winglet would increase fuel consumption and possibly incur a slight performance penalty but nothing more. Obviously it's not as exciting a story as the DMs "wing tip falls off mid-flight" but why let the truth get in the way of a bit of drama!

[A4]

So why the return of it's been taped prior to departure? Would you even be able to see if the tape had come off?

Disregard - "low oil"....but the pics seem to show lack of speed tape.

[CCGE29]

The wingtip was removed at least one month ago as it hit the hangar door at Manchester.

The issue on this particular flight was low oil pressure in the #1 engine.

[bnt]

OK, so the article has now been updated with the "low oil" reason. It still doesn't look good to be speed-taping the plane at the gate, then having the plane come back without the tape, does it?

[seata3]

A video of the plane landing without a wingtip on the 22 May 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egrNVmfAIZA

[Joe_K]

OK, so the article has now been updated with the "low oil" reason.

Why does PPRuNe even allow links to a fascist fake news peddling dirtrag like the Daily Mail? Shame on you for posting this BS.

[Hotel Tango]

Why does PPRuNe even allow links to a fascist fake news peddling dirtrag like the Daily Mail?

Because we all need a good laugh now and again!

[TURIN]

The Twitter account of Simon Rawlinson reads like the Daily Fail letters page. What a whinging tw4t!

I suppose he would have been much happier if the aircraft had carried on had to divert to Greenland on one engine. Much better outcome. Pillock!:mad:

[Basil]

Why does PPRuNe even allow links to a fascist fake news peddling dirtrag like the Daily Mail? Shame on you for posting this BS.
Do you unite against Fascism? We all should; they're everywhere!

[Sailvi767]

There is nothing wrong with flying the A330 wingtip to get the aircraft through its rotation and to a maintenance base. Flying the aircraft for a month that way calls into question the airlines maintenance practices.

[msjh]

Reported in the Daily Telegraph here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/26/thomas-cook-plane-pictured-part-wing-missing-emergency-landing/)

The aircraft landed at Manchester apparently due to an unrelated fault.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2017/06/27/TELEMMGLPICT000133082134-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqkemBzas3KIpBLUMocgoXoqkDsCPPOx9Uuji2 sSYQDkA.jpeg

[Jetjock330]

It's allowed to fly minus one winglet only, if I recall in the DDG. Deviation Dispatch Guide. I have flown Airbus myself minus one winglet, and another time, minus the flap track "canoe". Reduction in ZFW and take off weight for the winglet, if I recall.

[jaja]

]

One may be missing provided the hole is covered.
Performance:
The following performance penalties are applicable:
Takeoff and approach climb performance limiting weights are reduced by 17 150 kg (37 810 lb)
En route performance limiting weight is reduced by 1 768 kg (3 898 lb)
Fuel consumption is increased by 1.20 %.

[Capn Bloggs]

Why didn't he show 'em "the bird"? :}

[infrequentflyer789]

One may be missing provided the hole is covered.

Mmm. The daily fail (probably other places too) has photos that don't look awfully covered, in fact they look to me more like "freshly ripped off", but I am not an expert. Maybe the speed tape fell off :)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/06/26/15/41C6FFAD00000578-4640338-image-a-63_1498488937918.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/06/26/16/41C703E300000578-4640338-image-a-68_1498490236941.jpg

[Skyjob]

Maybe the unrelated fault was partially involved in the loss of the wingtip?

[DaveReidUK]

Maybe the unrelated fault was partially involved in the loss of the wingtip?

I think the Daily Mail influence is getting to you. :O

See post #4 - the winglet was knocked off in a collision with a hangar door at MAN.

[jugofpropwash]

Given the reduction in performance, increased fuel use, and presumably the cost of replacing the speed tape every flight - would it not be more economical to replace the wing tip, rather than fly around without it for a month?

[TURIN]

There is nothing wrong with flying the A330 wingtip to get the aircraft through its rotation and to a maintenance base. Flying the aircraft for a month that way calls into question the airlines maintenance practices.

No it doesn't. It proves that the aircraft is in the middle of a busy summer schedule and is being utilised to the maximum. There is no limitation that I can find for the length of time that the winglet can be missing. Why take it out of service when you can very safely and legally operate under the DDG until the next scheduled hangar input?

What is called into question is the fact that several newspapers can slander a legitimate business and get away with it. If I was Thomas Cook I would be seeking compensation from the Scum, Fail and every other Tom Dick and Mary that has tweeted or facebooked this all over the world!

[Piltdown Man]

I think the fix would take a day or two and even then it might have to fly around with it unpainted for a while. And that assumes the parts are in stock and there is space in the metal workshop to do the repair. So as an operator you have to decide, do I want it fixed ASAP which might mean a very expensive wet hire or do I accept it doesn't look good and the associated performance (potential £££'s) penalties. With an operator like TC at no time were any short cuts or illegal sign offs knowingly made.

PM

[rottenray]

Did some checking around, and, yup, just about everything can fly without a winglet.

Fuel and takeoff weight penalties.

I get a real kick out of news articles based on "the horror of _X_ flight operated in such an unsafe manner!"

Talk to an otherwise smart friend about a jetliner, and you'll get amazing answers.

One of my buddies thinks they have five wings -- the big ones, the two little ones, and the one that sticks straight up.

[cwatters]

Glitch on Thomas Cook flight to Cuba leaves airline with £500k bill | The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/thomas-cook-airlines-cuba-flight-airbus-a330-oil-pressure-wing-tip-manchester-airport-holguin-a7810226.html)

Flight MT2652 took off from Manchester with 332 passengers on board on Monday afternoon, the destination Holguin in eastern Cuba. But as it was flying over the Atlantic about 200 miles west of the Irish coast, the pilots decided to return to the Thomas Cook base in Manchester because of an oil pressure issue with the left-hand engine.

Unusually, the plane was missing a wingtip on the left-hand wing, which caused some mistaken concern that part of the wing had fallen off. One newspaper headline read: “Jet returns to UK for emergency landing with a broken wing.”

In fact, engineers had previously removed the wingtip - which is not an essential component, but an aid to fuel efficiency - for repair.

[vs69]

No it doesn't. It proves that the aircraft is in the middle of a busy summer schedule and is being utilised to the maximum. There is no limitation that I can find for the length of time that the winglet can be missing. Why take it out of service when you can very safely and legally operate under the DDG until the next scheduled hangar input?

What is called into question is the fact that several newspapers can slander a legitimate business and get away with it. If I was Thomas Cook I would be seeking compensation from the Scum, Fail and every other Tom Dick and Mary that has tweeted or facebooked this all over the world!

Do you mean to say the Daily Heil is an unreliable fear mongering source of unchecked half truths designed to mislead??
I just hope it hasn't affected house prices in the area.

[DaveReidUK]

In fact, engineers had previously removed the wingtip - which is not an essential component, but an aid to fuel efficiency - for repair.

I wonder which page of the Maintenance Manual explains the use of the hangar door technique. :O

[jolihokistix]

Dave, I suspect it was half hanging off and the engineers gave it a good hard yank before taping off the jagged hole. Sounds as if the taping could have been done a little more, er... professionally each time?

[ratchetring]

There is nothing wrong with flying the A330 wingtip to get the aircraft through its rotation and to a maintenance base. Flying the aircraft for a month that way calls into question the airlines maintenance practices.

Have a word with Airbus and ask them to review the CDL , Perhaps giving it a one flight only dispensation
You clearly know better than they do .:ugh:

While your at it let Tommy Cook know there gash as well

[DaveReidUK]

No it doesn't. It proves that the aircraft is in the middle of a busy summer schedule and is being utilised to the maximum. There is no limitation that I can find for the length of time that the winglet can be missing. Why take it out of service when you can very safely and legally operate under the DDG until the next scheduled hangar input?

As a general principle, yes.

But I would seriously question the judgment of an operator who thinks that speedtape was an acceptable short-term repair in this instance.

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/thomas-cook-981648.jpg

[spannersatcx]

No it doesn't. It proves that the aircraft is in the middle of a busy summer schedule and is being utilised to the maximum. There is no limitation that I can find for the length of time that the winglet can be missing. Why take it out of service when you can very safely and legally operate under the DDG until the next scheduled hangar input?

Interesting, our CDL has a 10 day limit on a winglet being missing!

But then we do put tighter restrictions on ours, most likely because of the excessive fuel penalty in this instance.

Another airline we used to handle don't have any time limits in their CDL, which I always found a little strange!

[Planemike]

Did the a/c fly with one tip missing or both?

[DaveReidUK]

Did the a/c fly with one tip missing or both?

See post #12.

[Planemike]

David...... Thank you, should have looked !!!!

[Wodrick]

If memory serves, it has been 9 years, in the merged company it was a 10 day limit for one to be removed, only one permitted.
I know of at least one occasion when the winglet was damaged BER and then there was quite a wait for a new one. We operated on an extension until the spare became available.

[CCGE29]

To add to TURIN's point, a WOW Air (Air Europa) A330-343 EC-MIN (now TF-GAY) flew for much of S16 without a winglet.

[Basil]

ISTR we could ADD one winglet but not both. Never understood that.

[VC10man]

Why does PPRuNe even allow links to a fascist fake news peddling dirtrag like the Daily Mail? Shame on you for posting this BS.

I, like millions of others like and read the Daily Mail. Why do you post such a load of lefty bull£hit?