An Unconcious Captain & Airport Security
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: EGLD
An Unconcious Captain & Airport Security
I'm having quite a week this week with respect to my business travel ........... this first story isn't exactly a Reporting Point so my apologies in advance, but the second is security related so I've posted it here.
Monday morning I was travelling Heathrow-Brussels on the 06:45 (Operated by SN). Having checking in and got down to the gate, we were coached out to the aircraft. However, on arrival we weren't allowed off the coach and hung around for 5 minutes - just enough time to see a police car and an abulance arrive. At which point we were coached back to the gate where the flight was promptly cancelled. And the reason for the cancellation was ..................
The Captain had tripped over on the aircraft and knocked him/herself unconcious.
How accurate this is I can't say - but in all my years of travel I think it's the most bizarre reason yet for one of my flights being pulled. If true however - it's my sincere hope that no serious injury were sustained.
Now today I went to Copenhagen and as normal, checked in for the return flight when I got to LHR this morning. I left my meeting this afternoon and dug my boarding pass out of the bag, giving it a brief glance to check the gate close time (15:25). At Kastrup I went straight to security where I presented my boarding pass, had it examined and proceeded through the scanner. First stop is then a TV monitor to check the gate and at this point I see that the flight time is 15:55, but the flight is not showing as delayed. So at this point I check the whole baording pass against the monitor and the penny drops as to why things don't add up - I'd just sailed straight through security with a two and half week old boarding pass for the BA395 Brussels to Heathrow. I'd changed flights at Brussels but still had the old boarding pass issued on the morning of that trip in my bag. So I can only assume that the security guy was critically appraising my boarding pass for artistic impression, cos he sure as hell didn't read any of the flight details
on it. So much for the world of increased security ....................
On Friday I'm supposed to be in Frankfurt, but I think maybe I might just stay in bed.
Cheers
-S
Monday morning I was travelling Heathrow-Brussels on the 06:45 (Operated by SN). Having checking in and got down to the gate, we were coached out to the aircraft. However, on arrival we weren't allowed off the coach and hung around for 5 minutes - just enough time to see a police car and an abulance arrive. At which point we were coached back to the gate where the flight was promptly cancelled. And the reason for the cancellation was ..................
The Captain had tripped over on the aircraft and knocked him/herself unconcious.
How accurate this is I can't say - but in all my years of travel I think it's the most bizarre reason yet for one of my flights being pulled. If true however - it's my sincere hope that no serious injury were sustained.
Now today I went to Copenhagen and as normal, checked in for the return flight when I got to LHR this morning. I left my meeting this afternoon and dug my boarding pass out of the bag, giving it a brief glance to check the gate close time (15:25). At Kastrup I went straight to security where I presented my boarding pass, had it examined and proceeded through the scanner. First stop is then a TV monitor to check the gate and at this point I see that the flight time is 15:55, but the flight is not showing as delayed. So at this point I check the whole baording pass against the monitor and the penny drops as to why things don't add up - I'd just sailed straight through security with a two and half week old boarding pass for the BA395 Brussels to Heathrow. I'd changed flights at Brussels but still had the old boarding pass issued on the morning of that trip in my bag. So I can only assume that the security guy was critically appraising my boarding pass for artistic impression, cos he sure as hell didn't read any of the flight details
on it. So much for the world of increased security ....................
On Friday I'm supposed to be in Frankfurt, but I think maybe I might just stay in bed.
Cheers
-S
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,627
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From: UTC +8
Stranger things have happened. Some years ago one semi literate pax was traveling from Newark to Oakland with a plane change at LAX. Low and behold, at LAX one semi literate gate agent had ushered him unto a jet bound for Auckland. 
Joined: May 2002
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From: LGW - Hub of the Universe!
The unconscious Captain story is so bizarre - it's probably true!
Two strange reasons for aircraft disruption spring to mind:
1. 737-200 Tech due broken Windscreen Wiper blade - a new blade had to be flown dowb from MAN because neither LGW or LHR had any in stock!
2. LGW-DHA (Dhahran) delayed 4 hours when it switched from LHR. The captain oprating the service hadn't been informed it had switched to LGW and was happily digging his garden in Staines when the office phoned to find out why he wasn't preparing his aircraft!
On the security issue - this is precisely what happens when people are working continuously without a break for long periods! We (our Union representatives) have advocated this till we're blue in the face but, only last week, two agents for one US carrier at LGW worked 9 hours on one position without even a break to go to the toilet! How can any human being possibly remain alert after that long?
Two strange reasons for aircraft disruption spring to mind:
1. 737-200 Tech due broken Windscreen Wiper blade - a new blade had to be flown dowb from MAN because neither LGW or LHR had any in stock!
2. LGW-DHA (Dhahran) delayed 4 hours when it switched from LHR. The captain oprating the service hadn't been informed it had switched to LGW and was happily digging his garden in Staines when the office phoned to find out why he wasn't preparing his aircraft!
On the security issue - this is precisely what happens when people are working continuously without a break for long periods! We (our Union representatives) have advocated this till we're blue in the face but, only last week, two agents for one US carrier at LGW worked 9 hours on one position without even a break to go to the toilet! How can any human being possibly remain alert after that long?
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: STN and HPN
We had a JMC two summers ago delayed overnight as 'the turtles were mating' (or laying eggs)! I think it was either Monastir or Zakynthos (sorry about the spelling) where the runway is next to the beach, and as we can't disturb the turtles ... so the airport was closed.
Not a happy group of pax.
Not a happy group of pax.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: EGLD
Well my last comment was just tempting fate wasn't it. With the snow at LHR last night I sat on our A319 to Frankfurt for nearly 6 hours waiting for a de-icing rig and some warm air blowers for the engines. 
