Precautionary landing during thunderstorm!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Precautionary landing during thunderstorm!
Couldn't believe this picture......
Last edited by Steve6443; 27th Jan 2014 at 14:35. Reason: as the full story became known, changed the title :-)
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: In the boot of my car!
Posts: 5,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ACTUALLY??? Is it a trick of sight? Is the lightening bolt hitting the aircraft or the trees in the background?
Is the pilot waiting for the storm to pass ? Do we know what is in the other direction ie blue sky!
I have to admit years ago flying to shannon in a twin and passing Dublin at 10,000 odd feet got hit by a lightning bolt 3 feet on the wing from where I was sitting! Apart from the blinding flash crackling radios, everyones hair standing on end with glowng white teeth
We were fine.
Strange thing was I was vectored onto the ILS at Dublin and the twin was chased by lighting bolts all the way down. I was sure the air was so charged that the aircraft was setting them off.
Landed at Dublin and after a couple of airline departures they closed the whole airport down with about 20 aircraft in a line waiting for the storm to pass.
Good shot but maybe not quite as it appears ?
Pace
Is the pilot waiting for the storm to pass ? Do we know what is in the other direction ie blue sky!
I have to admit years ago flying to shannon in a twin and passing Dublin at 10,000 odd feet got hit by a lightning bolt 3 feet on the wing from where I was sitting! Apart from the blinding flash crackling radios, everyones hair standing on end with glowng white teeth
We were fine.Strange thing was I was vectored onto the ILS at Dublin and the twin was chased by lighting bolts all the way down. I was sure the air was so charged that the aircraft was setting them off.
Landed at Dublin and after a couple of airline departures they closed the whole airport down with about 20 aircraft in a line waiting for the storm to pass.
Good shot but maybe not quite as it appears ?
Pace
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,637
Received 300 Likes
on
168 Posts
Steve, is that Biggin Hill on Saturday afternoon (looks a little like Biggin looking NW to the right of the tower ramp)?
I was walking on a common about seven miles west when the core passed through slightly further north at about 4:30pm and the wind and hale was incredibly vicious. A lightning strike hit and partially collapsed a crane on a tower block in Croydon.
I was walking on a common about seven miles west when the core passed through slightly further north at about 4:30pm and the wind and hale was incredibly vicious. A lightning strike hit and partially collapsed a crane on a tower block in Croydon.
Reminds me of an occasion at Wright-Patterson AFB when we were in the flight planning room getting ready for the next leg. It was the other crew's turn to fly, so I was just sitting waiting for the transport. Rain was due, but hadn't actually arrived. Then I looked out of the window and saw some distinctly ominous nimbostratus rapidly approaching...
"I don't like the look of that big, ugly, black bast*rd", I remarked to the other captain.
At which there was a loud rumbling noise behind me, followed by "What's that you said, boy?". I turned round to see what looked like an ebony cliff dressed in a USAF flight suit, with a distinctly annoyed look on his face...
"That big, black bast*rd over there, mate!", I explained and pointed it out.
"Holy $hit - I see what you mean. My crew and I are staying here till that mother's gone!", he decided.
But the other captain thought he knew better. So we started up, taxyed out, had our departure clearance cancelled and taxyed back in again.....
"I don't like the look of that big, ugly, black bast*rd", I remarked to the other captain.
At which there was a loud rumbling noise behind me, followed by "What's that you said, boy?". I turned round to see what looked like an ebony cliff dressed in a USAF flight suit, with a distinctly annoyed look on his face...
"That big, black bast*rd over there, mate!", I explained and pointed it out.
"Holy $hit - I see what you mean. My crew and I are staying here till that mother's gone!", he decided.
But the other captain thought he knew better. So we started up, taxyed out, had our departure clearance cancelled and taxyed back in again.....
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,637
Received 300 Likes
on
168 Posts
Thanks PP, glad to see he didn't actually get airborne into it.
There seem to have been a number of similar storms tracking across the UK yesterday, being out in the open on the ground was bad enough - my hands were still stinging mildly from the hail this morning.
There seem to have been a number of similar storms tracking across the UK yesterday, being out in the open on the ground was bad enough - my hands were still stinging mildly from the hail this morning.
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: E Anglia
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was EGBO Wolverhampton intergalactic space port. Taken yesterday. the aircraft had landed and was heading in to park up ahead of the TS arrival.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So the title of this thread is actually pure Daily Mail
Now, there may be some sky gods here who laugh in the face of such dangers but I would never put my life / my passengers' lives at risk by flying - or attempting to land - anywhere near a fully developed CB....
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: gashbag
Age: 53
Posts: 558
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Steve, it was cross country traffic caught out by Wx. Dived into the nearest airport for safety.Certainly better planning would have been more appropriate.
Can you provide a link to the "article" to which you refer? Just interested.
Can you provide a link to the "article" to which you refer? Just interested.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
as requested unfortunately it appears to have been edited since I read it because it was initially referring to a backtrack and then a start.....
For info: The same picture has since been used - as others have referred to - on the DM website, I linked the DM picture because it appeared to be better quality....
For info: The same picture has since been used - as others have referred to - on the DM website, I linked the DM picture because it appeared to be better quality....
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The touch down point is 2-3 miles away from the aircraft.
I have had 3 lightning strikes while airborne the worst one was the second which mugged me sideways out of a cloud. That one magnetised the wing which was a bit of a pain to sort out.
The other two, loads of st elmos going up the window then a biggish bang and this is where things differed. The EFIS aircraft really didn't like it and all the screens shut down and the whole lot shut down for 2-3mins then rebooted. The steam instrument aircraft it didn't miss a beat with engines turning and apart from a funny smell from the pax. Both were near ROSUN hold.
Two of them had a 50p hole blown in the skin one on the wing tip one on the rudder. The time the wing became magnetised when it got us sideways it had hit the fuel filler cap.
One of the atlantic pilots said he had been hit in exactly the same place in a DC3 and with them afterwards there was a blue glow from the back and when they looked there was ball lightning floating in the cabin.
I have had 3 lightning strikes while airborne the worst one was the second which mugged me sideways out of a cloud. That one magnetised the wing which was a bit of a pain to sort out.
The other two, loads of st elmos going up the window then a biggish bang and this is where things differed. The EFIS aircraft really didn't like it and all the screens shut down and the whole lot shut down for 2-3mins then rebooted. The steam instrument aircraft it didn't miss a beat with engines turning and apart from a funny smell from the pax. Both were near ROSUN hold.
Two of them had a 50p hole blown in the skin one on the wing tip one on the rudder. The time the wing became magnetised when it got us sideways it had hit the fuel filler cap.
One of the atlantic pilots said he had been hit in exactly the same place in a DC3 and with them afterwards there was a blue glow from the back and when they looked there was ball lightning floating in the cabin.
Years ago, whilst proceeding from Ascension Island to Botswana we approached Gaborone International to be told that the mother of all Cbs was over the approach. When told it would last 'until tomorrow' I asked my Co to get the weather for the alternate. Sadly that, and all other airfields were rubbish. Thank you met man! Anyway, short of landing in the desert (not good in a four-engine airliner), I elected to land on the reciprocal runway with a stated tail wind of 30 kts. Yes, madness you might say, and you would be correct.
However, there was method in my madness and I briefed we would go around if the tail wind (from the INS) was greater than 20 kts. With a very long runway, 20 kts would be just about OK (though illegal!). We had no alternative.
To cut a very long story short, the wind on final was 30 its, but 180 deg out from what ATC was giving! Hence the landing was fine. As I rolled to the end i spotted a BA 747 about to line up on the reciprocal of my landing runway. I pointed out to him that he would have a 30 kts tail wind on take-off. As he was at max t/o weight, he wisely elected to go back to the bar. A departure on my landing runway was out of the question due to the huge Cb off the end.
He bought me a few beers that night, but none for ATC!
Another true story:
During the Balkan conflict I was tasked with flying into theatre to deliver 35 tons of high explosives (HE). Unfortunately, I had to fly very low to avoid getting tangled up with cruise missiles... their pilots don't look out much!
Inbound, a glance at that radar confirmed my worst nightmare. A mass of terrible ugly blotches on the screen stretched for as far as my eye could see. As I started to blub my wise old navigator calmed me down by telling me that the blotches were merely mountain tops and we were at just 2000 feet above them. Moreover, I could affirm his statement by looking out of the window. What luck having a window seat. However, I would have to pick my route through the bubbling cumulonimbus clouds with care and especially those clouds with a very hard centre (a mountain top). Suddenly a jagged fork of lightning launched at us out of a black ominous cloud. Without so much as a ‘You p**s me off' call from above we were hit. The plane shuddered and filled with a strong smell of burning. Instantly I though "just as well we are not carrying passengers". Then I remembered the timid air stewardess who was afraid of flying who I had invited to sit on the flight deck jump seat to observe just how routinely safe everything always is! Then I also recalled we were carrying 35 tons of high explosive!
Apparently the fireball from the lightning strike rolled down between the high explosives and exited the aeroplane by the tail. Now I too had a fear of flying and my wobbly lip became a blur. Still, I thought this will make a good scenario for my next simulator sortie; assuming I survived. Moreover, we would now qualify for an additional laundry allowance. Of course prudence dictated we divert to somewhere less hostile than Macedonia and so we pointed the VC10 at a jolly nice holiday airport in Greece. On ground the engineers ascertained the damage (not a lot, just a few charred bits and some holes) and without too much serious trouble we resumed our odyssey to Skopje.
However, there was method in my madness and I briefed we would go around if the tail wind (from the INS) was greater than 20 kts. With a very long runway, 20 kts would be just about OK (though illegal!). We had no alternative.
To cut a very long story short, the wind on final was 30 its, but 180 deg out from what ATC was giving! Hence the landing was fine. As I rolled to the end i spotted a BA 747 about to line up on the reciprocal of my landing runway. I pointed out to him that he would have a 30 kts tail wind on take-off. As he was at max t/o weight, he wisely elected to go back to the bar. A departure on my landing runway was out of the question due to the huge Cb off the end.
He bought me a few beers that night, but none for ATC!
Another true story:
During the Balkan conflict I was tasked with flying into theatre to deliver 35 tons of high explosives (HE). Unfortunately, I had to fly very low to avoid getting tangled up with cruise missiles... their pilots don't look out much!
Inbound, a glance at that radar confirmed my worst nightmare. A mass of terrible ugly blotches on the screen stretched for as far as my eye could see. As I started to blub my wise old navigator calmed me down by telling me that the blotches were merely mountain tops and we were at just 2000 feet above them. Moreover, I could affirm his statement by looking out of the window. What luck having a window seat. However, I would have to pick my route through the bubbling cumulonimbus clouds with care and especially those clouds with a very hard centre (a mountain top). Suddenly a jagged fork of lightning launched at us out of a black ominous cloud. Without so much as a ‘You p**s me off' call from above we were hit. The plane shuddered and filled with a strong smell of burning. Instantly I though "just as well we are not carrying passengers". Then I remembered the timid air stewardess who was afraid of flying who I had invited to sit on the flight deck jump seat to observe just how routinely safe everything always is! Then I also recalled we were carrying 35 tons of high explosive!
Apparently the fireball from the lightning strike rolled down between the high explosives and exited the aeroplane by the tail. Now I too had a fear of flying and my wobbly lip became a blur. Still, I thought this will make a good scenario for my next simulator sortie; assuming I survived. Moreover, we would now qualify for an additional laundry allowance. Of course prudence dictated we divert to somewhere less hostile than Macedonia and so we pointed the VC10 at a jolly nice holiday airport in Greece. On ground the engineers ascertained the damage (not a lot, just a few charred bits and some holes) and without too much serious trouble we resumed our odyssey to Skopje.
Personally, I would say "Wise decision to undertake a precautionary landing" would be a more appropriate thead title.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wasn't the pilot concerned, but if I had been I wouldn't be impressed to be called "foolhardy" solely on the basis of a single photo
For the avoidance of doubt, I wasn't the pilot concerned, but if I had been I wouldn't be impressed to be called "foolhardy" solely on the basis of a single photo
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: In the boot of my car!
Posts: 5,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Now, there may be some sky gods here who laugh in the face of such dangers but I would never put my life / my passengers' lives at risk by flying - or attempting to land - anywhere near a fully developed CB....
Crossing an occluded or cold front over a long flight chances are you will have to pick your way through at the worst levels ie 10 to 12 k as appears with this guy a diversion maybe his best option on the rare occasion!
That does not mean he lands in the middle of a thunderstorm ( they move you know ) and neither do you risk your PAX
It's just a different sort of flying by more experienced pilots not Sky Gods
Pace
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry, I chose my title based on a report which said the pilot back tracked and was on the take off run when this photo was taken. Unfortunately, as with most things in the press, I should have taken it with a pinch of salt - as previously stated, the report has now been "amended".....
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What makes you say that ? There are pilots who fly for fun and choose their days and weather! There are pilots who fly long distance and who cannot be so selective and who would love to go and see a film or do something else because the weather is crap but within reason we have to fly!
Crossing and occluded or cold front distance chances are you will have to pick your way through at the worst levels ie 10 to 12 k as appears with this guy a diversion maybe his best option!
That does not mean he lands in the middle of a thunderstorm ( they move you know ) and neither do you risk your PAX
It's just a different sort of flying by more experienced pilots not Sky Gods
Crossing and occluded or cold front distance chances are you will have to pick your way through at the worst levels ie 10 to 12 k as appears with this guy a diversion maybe his best option!
That does not mean he lands in the middle of a thunderstorm ( they move you know ) and neither do you risk your PAX
It's just a different sort of flying by more experienced pilots not Sky Gods
I understand your point about thunderstorms moving but as you know, thunderstorms don't have a radius of impact of around a few hundred metres but rather a number of miles and whilst I applaud the fact that this was a precautionary landing, rather than the "take off into a storm" which was initially reported in a local rag, I think even landing at a strip where the storm is overhead would not be my preferred option, I would have returned from where I came and waited, after all, in most cases our spam cans can fly quicker than the storms progression.