LUTON History and Nostalgia
The only case I can remember where an aircraft had to divert to its nearest airport that happened to be Luton was when a British Midland aircraft possibly a 737 had double engine problems after take off from East Midlands Airport. I think some seals were missing after maintenance work spilling oil everywhere but that was year later.
Typo methinks, one of their three IT configured 707s I guess.
The Midland incident was indeed a 737.....Blanking plates left off after engine borescope inspections caused oil loss in both engines (but they were still turning and burning when the aircraft arrived at LTN).....(just!)
I believe most jet engines will continue to run for quite a long time without oil as the bearings are roller and ball races that don't overheat and seize very quickly.
I should read not scan; problems not "failure". Doh!
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If my memory serves me correctly but is not what it used be wasn't there an incident with a Phoenix Airways Switzerland Boeing 707 in 1972 when it decided to go cross country for a short while after landing on 26 bringing Mr and Mrs Frank Sinatra and there entourage to London.I cannot recall any incident with passengers on a Boeing 707 at Luton as the person described above over the last 50 years.
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The only case I can remember where an aircraft had to divert to its nearest airport that happened to be Luton was when a British Midland aircraft possibly a 737 had double engine problems after take off from East Midlands Airport. I think some seals were missing after maintenance work spilling oil everywhere but that was year later.
Ah I don't have enough 'Points' to post URLs but Google "Oil loss forces down BMA 737" and you'll find a summary and the accident report on the incident above.
I wonder what happened to the engineers concerned?
The BMA 737 incident cost the company a few bob after they appeared at Luton Crown Court. Airline fined after plane ran out of oil | The Independent
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compton3bravo
Two different incidents. A Phoenix B707 did overrun rwy 26 on 30 Apr 1973 when landing in wet conditions with a 15kt tailwind. I was the tower controller. I declared an aircraft accident when it re-appeared from behind hangar 89 still going like a train.
We did not have an ILS on rwy 08 in those days and the ACR430 radar, used for half-mile SRAs, was unsuitable due weather clutter. It was not a diversion and I seem to recall the aircraft was not recovered until the next day.
N108BN B707 lost a nosewheel when landing on rwy 26 on 28 Mar 1977. It was only later we discovered 'ol' blue eyes' was onboard!
I was Manager ATC when the BMA B737-400 landed with both engines at idle and met the Captain on the runway. This was 8 Mar 1995. Both engines were streaked with large amounts of oil.
Two different incidents. A Phoenix B707 did overrun rwy 26 on 30 Apr 1973 when landing in wet conditions with a 15kt tailwind. I was the tower controller. I declared an aircraft accident when it re-appeared from behind hangar 89 still going like a train.
We did not have an ILS on rwy 08 in those days and the ACR430 radar, used for half-mile SRAs, was unsuitable due weather clutter. It was not a diversion and I seem to recall the aircraft was not recovered until the next day.
N108BN B707 lost a nosewheel when landing on rwy 26 on 28 Mar 1977. It was only later we discovered 'ol' blue eyes' was onboard!
I was Manager ATC when the BMA B737-400 landed with both engines at idle and met the Captain on the runway. This was 8 Mar 1995. Both engines were streaked with large amounts of oil.
Last edited by vintage ATCO; 24th Oct 2017 at 18:13. Reason: Typo
Was that the 1970s Swiss operator? Are you sure it was a 737 and not a 707?
These days certain systems and components are deemed "Safety Critical" and must be maintained by different people or on different occasions.
ie. Oil, Fuel and Hydraulic filter maintenance, Boroscope inspection ports, starter and generator replacement, etc.
This way, if an error is made it will only affect one engine or system.
A little while ago I had a task to replace the wing front spar main attach bolts on a DHC8-Q400. This was listed as a "Safety Critical" task. Now these bolts are very important, but if one side was cocked up and the wing came off, the other side would be pretty useless on its own. We had a smile at that idea.
ie. Oil, Fuel and Hydraulic filter maintenance, Boroscope inspection ports, starter and generator replacement, etc.
This way, if an error is made it will only affect one engine or system.
A little while ago I had a task to replace the wing front spar main attach bolts on a DHC8-Q400. This was listed as a "Safety Critical" task. Now these bolts are very important, but if one side was cocked up and the wing came off, the other side would be pretty useless on its own. We had a smile at that idea.
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Does anyone remember a Do228 operator City Airbus and even better have a photo? Found nothing online, but they were HUY based and covered for Suckling so would have been early 90's.
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City Air Bus started ops on 25/11/94 Humberside-London City using Do.228's G-BVTY and G-BVTZ. The latter aircraft went to Suckling after City Air Bus folded on 1/2/95. I did record it at Luton on 17/11/94, quite possibly operating for Suckling, no picture as such, I'm afraid.
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I have never heard of Phoenix Airways Switzerland before this topic was brought up which I have found interesting, as far as I am aware this airline must have been the only Swiss operator of the Boeing 707 as I have always been under the impression that the aircraft had never been on the Swiss register.
I have never heard of Phoenix Airways Switzerland before this topic was brought up which I have found interesting, as far as I am aware this airline must have been the only Swiss operator of the Boeing 707 as I have always been under the impression that the aircraft had never been on the Swiss register.
