What the Colonel said.....

Has anyone asked Paragraph737 for his “expert” opinions in how this was handled?

Broken Hill May have been physically closer but by the time you do a high speed descent and prepare for landing I’m guessing YMIA was just as close time wise, that flight radar track is zoomed in pretty close regarding jet flying speeds.

Well said Colonel. Too many non-pilots on here revelling in the destruction of the industry.

We all need to look after each other and not just pilots but also our cabin and ground crew brethren.

Well done to the JQ pilots, a fire warning is one of the most serious things to deal with on an aircraft.

So true. Well done to the crew!

Mildura wasn’t listed in JQ Ops manual as Emergency or Alternate, may have changed now. But in these circumstances it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Fascilities is what it's all about when making a decision like that, PUC has the ultimate final say when a May Day is declared, all rules are are out the window! Mildura far better all round for services during and after the event. Goodcwork guys considering the pressure pilots are under at the moment. -:)

If one of the crew has past experience into that airport and not the other, may also be a factor - I recall UPS6 trying for Dubai because they knew the airport and didn't want to be floundering around in a new airport environment by going to somewhere only fractionally closer / "better" looking

What year are you talking about?

The Air Canada Gimli glider 767 that ran out of fuel they landed @ Gimli even though the airport was closed and was a drag stip. One of the pilots had done some training there and remembered the place.
You never know where you might end up going back to, alway pay your bar tab!

"Facilities is what it's all about when making a decision like that"

I beg to differ strongly Mach. When on fire the prime consideration is a suitable strip of tarmac. You would be a lunatic to disregard tarmac in the pursuit of facilities when on fire. Get the pax on the ground then get em out. In this case, and I'm not saying at all that YMIA was a wrong decision, but what did YMIA offer above Broken Hill - no fire facilities at each place. In terms of distance to run vs descent time, YMIA was fine. Sure, all the ancillaries for pax handling are great once the shouting stops, but that's a convenience as opposed to a life saver.

What year, 16’ - 17’? But that’s probably changed, JQ crew will know. At least 2 JQ 320’s have diverted there previously.

Just to make sure everyone understands what the "nearest suitable airport" means - it's also time to get to a suitable airport and not just the distance.

For example - overhead an airport at FL 350 that will handle the aircraft, but a better, more suitable airport is 70 nm away. The descent time from FL 350 for both airports is approx the same, so the airport 70 nm away is in fact the more suitable.

It's the crew on the day who make that assessment.

Depends a lot on what airports are in the FM database and what charts are carried onboard. Not sure what JQ 320s carry but making an emergency landing at an airport that you have no onboard info about certainly increases crew workload significantly.

Machtuk , let me know which operator you fly for ( if you fly at all ) so that I can avoid it. An aircraft on fire or with persistent smoke in the cabin MUST land at the nearest available airport. That airport may be an emergency airport that has been assessed as meeting the minimum operational standards for landing. Other “nice to have” facilities are completely irrelevant. An out of control fire may even require a ditching or out-landing. Its worst case but you’re gunna die otherwise.

Extract from a major manufacturers checklist;

“It must be stressed that for smoke that continues or a fire that cannot be positively confirmed to be completely extinguished, the earliest possible descent, landing, and evacuation must be done.
If a smoke, fire or fumes situation becomes uncontrollable, the Flight Crew should consider an immediate landing. Immediate landing implies immediate diversion to a runway. However, in a severe situation, the Flight Crew should consider an overweight landing, a tailwind landing, an off-airport landing, or a ditching.”

"charts" are all on the Ipad so if it is in the FMS database it is in the ipad. Even without the approach plate all the info regarding airport elevation, runway length and the approach itself are all in the FMS.

I'm sure the Hudson River wasn't approved either, to hell with "approval" when you are on fire.

ha ha, I'll let you sweat on that one seeing as it bothers you a lot -)
you'll never whether I fly or not, now that's gotta hurt! -:)

That's A nice nothing reply to very valid points Mach. Is that really the best you've got?

Savage 175, spoken like a true child of the magenta line.