17/01/08
 

Can I just say, from the Heathrow Tower Sup, to everyone; my colleagues at the time in the tower, and TC and AC, and I'm sure ATCOs in the adjoining FIRs, that you all did an amazing job yesterday. I was really proud of the way we all got it done.

Certainly made for an unforgettable birthday!

So, anyone for TRUCE next month? :}

Well done to you guys too. Some of the AC sectors were a bit interesting for a while to say the least.:D

:ok: Gonzo

great work yesterday by all ATC and to be fair airport fire service who were on the scene within 1 min 13 seconds of the crash call being initiated. If what intial rumours are suggesting, then I take my hat off to the flight crew and would very much like to buy them a beer (that doesn't happen that often!!!;))

Afternoon shift was probably in the top 3 hardest shifts I've worked in my 7 and a bit years, it proved that mixed mode would be a crock of $hit, the two GMC's earned their money yesterday. Enjoyed a couple of beers when I got home.

Still cannot believe that everyone walked away from that aircraft. I don't believe in God, but whatever you believe in, thank it that we'd had plenty of rain in the past few weeks, as, if this had happened on a cold frosty day or dry summers day, that grass wouldn't have been able to absorb the incredible amount of energy and I think this would've been a whole different outcome!

I never thought I'd say this, but, thank £*($ I'm in the sim today:)

All the best,

YS

Gonzo, you and your motley crew are to be congratulated for managing to keep the whole of Heathrow going throughout yesterday's shenannigans without the fine gentlemen of the press even noticing how unbelievably hard you must all have been working.

Happy Birthday. Next year, we'll just send a strip-o-gram instead.

I wonder if the P1 logged that one as a "landing"?

Do you mind if I ask what the procedure was when yesterday 'began' Gonzo? Is it a scenario you have prepared for or do you have to improvise? The news mentioned that Heathrow had been completely closed at one point - I don't know how accurate that was, but could imagine the mess of trying to get everyone waiting to land to somewhere else.

Good show :ok:

Ginger ;)

Yellow Snow, I know we weren't the only ones working hard, and others faced more danger, but I thought the others involved were getting enough recognition elsewhere. :ok:

Strip-o-gram would be great DwB, and I guess she'll have no problems getting airside!:E

GB, there was a period where there were no departures, no arrivals and we also stopped everyone taxying around the airfield. The 'procedure' was to go through the checklist in the Emergency Folder under 'Aircraft Accident'.

As I'm writing this I'm replaying the crash in my mind......It all seems rather unreal. Reminded me of a scene from Independence Day.....

Gonzo, fully singing from the same hymn sheet.

I wish you drank, as I'd buy you a beer also, alas I'll get the tomato juice in;)

Got to stop slapping each other on the back now as some people in NATS are getting upset about it:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Sorry :(

Ask a silly question...

It was by no means a silly question!.....There is a degree of improvisation...as all incidents are unique, and this one in particular had both aspects which aren't covered in our annual emergency training, and things on the standard checklist which couldn't be completed at the time with the information at hand. I didn't mean to sound flippant!

Basically there's an initial call on the airfield's crash circuit, which alerts the emergency services and the airport authority's control centre. This is usually done by the ATCO actually working the traffic...and consists of a/c type, location, problem etc. The Sup then has a few minutes to make a 'second call', with more details (callsign, company etc). Then the checklist goes on to give other agencies which need informing, and the information they each need.....Terminal Control, Area Control, AAIB etc.

Cheers :ok: I just thought to a professional I might have sounded like a bit of a bonehead.


Ginger ;)

Oh, a professional?....sorry, I thought you were asking me!:}

Seems to be just as tough today.
Heard on Tower frequency this evening:
BAxx after instruction to G/A: "Just one of those nights"
Tower: "Tell me about it!"

Will the current experience cause any re-working of plans?

Can't wait for the power-point presentation....any plans for a tour? ;);)

Job well done...think i'll give 777's a miss for a while though

YS Agree with you fully about difficulty of last couple of days, can't believe we managed to get back up and running so soon with TOO MUCH f@*king traffic (quelle surprise)

Have been enjoying watching those 340s and 744s getting airborne from N4 tho:ooh:

I know there are many unheard voices who live in that dodgy looking tower of yours but I'd like to say a personal 'thank you' to you all for your great work following the 'incident'. I particularly think the Delivery and Ground guys did a brilliant job and, as we sat waiting for a tug and counting down the minutes until the fudging of rest hours would no longer see us with enough hours to operate our flight (we did go thanks to your expeditious work), I couldn't help but be impressed by the forebearance and smart thinking from the tower. I think the highlights for me were when the chap on Delivery put down his sheet of difficult sums and gave a huge list of start up times. A lot of work had obviously gone into that and it was great to hear the inane questions of 'where are we in the sequence' finally fall silent. I also particulary enjoyed the barely concealed incredulous laughter from Delivery when a certain carrier from the Middle East asked if there would be any delays for him :rolleyes:

Anyway, that's quite enough of praise heaping on you ground-bound types. Now get back to work and make sure I'm not delayed coming in tomorrow afternoon :)

great job guys :D If they hadn't gotten both lifts up to the tower working during the night before would the rumoured reduction in rates to 30% due to operating from the old tower have meant this flight may have been sent elsewhere?

Any truth that some new lights are being fitted as a safety feature? :}
http://www2.b3ta.com/host/creative/6...510/runway.gif

BD

Pontius, praise from a Sky-God such as yourself is praise indeed.... :ok:

BD......only a few seconds after it skidded to a halt, just as I was going to put the second call on, I had a call from tels (God knows why I answered it!) and they calmly asked me why had I turned the 27L ILS off.... :cool:

Good to hear they were on the ball and followed up on the alarm going off :ok:

My most amusing (cause it was all OK in the end) crash incident was at Valley. I was screening a UT who (I thought prior to this) was close to validation. Hawk was cleared to land and I was talking to the ground controller, not watching the Hawk. My UT said "Look! The wheels just come off that Hawk!" At the subsequent debrief of the UT, after a smack round the head, he was reminded that I should have heard him say that as he was talking down the crash phone!

BD

Pontius,

delivery has been sheer comedy over the last few days, I honestly think that some operators don't realise there's a 777 looking like it has a huge hangover, feeling very sorry for itself on 27L. The best bit was the Olympic station manager calling up, on the land line, in the midst of the chaos on Thursday to ask why his flight was being delayed:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Wig Wag 2,
I am amazed at how well 744 and 346 are getting airborne from S4/N4E, it just goes to show that full power take offs are very different from the de-rated departures they must do all the time.
The huge pi$$ take for me is why aren't the US carriers playing ball?? Every BA longhaul is taking 27L regardless of destination as they are adjusting cargo loading etc accordingly, but all the US 777 and a lot of AC767's are saying they need 27R, this is making the air positions very hard and unjustly delaying those that are playing the game nicely and accepting 27L from 4:ugh:

Good luck all