Pilot injured as a result of Jetblast at Brisbane International
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Pilot injured as a result of Jetblast at Brisbane International
Pilot sent tumbling by Qantas jumbo's engine thrust
Pilot sent tumbling by Qantas jumbo's engine thrust
Matt O'Sullivan
October 20, 2011 - 10:54AM
A VIRGIN AUSTRALIA pilot has been badly injured after he was blown from stairs at the rear of a passenger jet by the engine thrust from a Qantas 747 jumbo, which was taxi-ing close to his plane.
Safety experts are looking into how the Qantas jumbo came close enough to the Boeing 737, which is operated by Virgin subsidiary Pacific Blue, to blow over the stairs on which the first officer was standing.
The pilot had been conducting pre-flight checks on the 737 passenger jet, which was parked at Brisbane Airport's international terminal, shortly before it was due to take off to Bali on Friday.
The first officer suffered a fractured arm and leg when the aluminium stairs were blown over by the force of the Qantas jumbo's engine blast. The 747 had been taxi-ing to a runway and was awaiting clearance from air traffic controllers to take off when the incident occurred.
The Qantas jumbo – QF8 – had stopped over in Brisbane to offload passengers while on its way to its final destination of Sydney. The jumbo's engines have stronger thrust than other aircraft because it is used to fly one of the longest routes in the world between Australia and Dallas, Texas.
A Virgin spokeswoman said the aluminium stairs to the 737 were blown over several times by the blast of the Qantas engines and the pilot's injuries could have been worse.
"Our plane was in the right place at the right time," she said. "The one dynamic which was different was the thrust level of the Qantas plane which caused the stairs to blow over."
But Qantas said its plane was "operating normally" under instructions from air traffic control and "at no stage" was excessive thrust used. The airline has reported the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Brisbane Airport said the Virgin aircraft was in its normal parking bay when the incident occurred and, although construction work is under way at the terminal, none was happening in the nearby vicinity. There had been a suggestion that construction work meant the Virgin aircraft was in a slightly different position.
Matt O'Sullivan
October 20, 2011 - 10:54AM
A VIRGIN AUSTRALIA pilot has been badly injured after he was blown from stairs at the rear of a passenger jet by the engine thrust from a Qantas 747 jumbo, which was taxi-ing close to his plane.
Safety experts are looking into how the Qantas jumbo came close enough to the Boeing 737, which is operated by Virgin subsidiary Pacific Blue, to blow over the stairs on which the first officer was standing.
The pilot had been conducting pre-flight checks on the 737 passenger jet, which was parked at Brisbane Airport's international terminal, shortly before it was due to take off to Bali on Friday.
The first officer suffered a fractured arm and leg when the aluminium stairs were blown over by the force of the Qantas jumbo's engine blast. The 747 had been taxi-ing to a runway and was awaiting clearance from air traffic controllers to take off when the incident occurred.
The Qantas jumbo – QF8 – had stopped over in Brisbane to offload passengers while on its way to its final destination of Sydney. The jumbo's engines have stronger thrust than other aircraft because it is used to fly one of the longest routes in the world between Australia and Dallas, Texas.
A Virgin spokeswoman said the aluminium stairs to the 737 were blown over several times by the blast of the Qantas engines and the pilot's injuries could have been worse.
"Our plane was in the right place at the right time," she said. "The one dynamic which was different was the thrust level of the Qantas plane which caused the stairs to blow over."
But Qantas said its plane was "operating normally" under instructions from air traffic control and "at no stage" was excessive thrust used. The airline has reported the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Brisbane Airport said the Virgin aircraft was in its normal parking bay when the incident occurred and, although construction work is under way at the terminal, none was happening in the nearby vicinity. There had been a suggestion that construction work meant the Virgin aircraft was in a slightly different position.
Ouch! Has anyone seen the video of the truck being blown over whilst driving behind a 747.
Ops manuals of jet aircraft are usually repleat with warnings of the dangers of thrust to nearby aircraft, machinery, people, etc...
Be interesting to see who ultimately carries the can. Hope the pilot makes a speedy recovery. Could quite as easily ended up in the Coroner's court!
Ops manuals of jet aircraft are usually repleat with warnings of the dangers of thrust to nearby aircraft, machinery, people, etc...
Be interesting to see who ultimately carries the can. Hope the pilot makes a speedy recovery. Could quite as easily ended up in the Coroner's court!
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"The jumbo's engines have stronger thrust than other aircraft because it is used to fly one of the longest routes in the world between Australia and Dallas, Texas."
Give us a break, where do they get this stuff! Maybe using takeoff power to taxi as well.
Give us a break, where do they get this stuff! Maybe using takeoff power to taxi as well.
Nunc est bibendum
There is potential to harm quite a number of passengers at the end of the Bravo pier in MEL too. Quite often we are taxing out when pax are boarding on the adjacent bay and we almost immediately turn north- up the hill- and point the engines directly at it. I've started to apply more thrust initially so that I'm at idle as I go around the corner and up the hill but it's an issue.
Hewlett, there is an element of truth in that statement:
The six B747-400ER's (used on the DFW route) flown by Qantas have GE CF6 donks which put out approx 11,000 lbs thrust more that the RR donks on the standard B744's. The idle thrust setting is significantly higher on these GE's and causes pilots to use frequent brake applications to control the taxy speed.
I'd be interested if one of our engineers can explain why the GE idle setting needs to be so high.
"The jumbo's engines have stronger thrust than other aircraft because it is used to fly one of the longest routes in the world between Australia and Dallas, Texas."
I'd be interested if one of our engineers can explain why the GE idle setting needs to be so high.
"Our plane was in the right place at the right time," she said.
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Thanks GB. Point taken, I stand corrected. Not likely to have been caused by idle thrust though, maybe breakaway or similiar trying to catch up on a late departure? Stand design may need some mods.
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Quite often we are taxing out when pax are boarding on the adjacent bay and we almost immediately turn north- up the hill- and point the engines directly at it. I've started to apply more thrust initially so that I'm at idle
It beggers belief. Ive seen them stand free in 60 kt winds and not even budge. If its the standard silver ones. They are sturdy buggers, Ive even seen them pushed sideways by a tug. The wheel track at the aircraft end is like 3m.
Will be an interesting report.
Will be an interesting report.
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Out of interest, what N1 do QF set prior to setting thrust on their GE powered -400s?
Ie we set 1.1 EPR on the Rolls and the Pratt and 45% N1 for GE, prior to pressing TOGA.
Ie we set 1.1 EPR on the Rolls and the Pratt and 45% N1 for GE, prior to pressing TOGA.
If it was a QF bird, I would be almost certain there were no Gen Yers in the cockpit! Most accounts say Gen Y starts after 1990. Don't think there has been much recruitment for people in this age range at the rat recently!
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Measured on the thrust meter or rev counter, Blueloo??
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Could have been worse. It could have been the ****ter truck blown over and the Pilot covered in 'post lunch deposits'.