Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Ground & Other Ops Forums > Questions
Reload this Page >

Lufthansa A321 pushback incident

Wikiposts
Search
Questions If you are a professional pilot or your work involves professional aviation please use this forum for questions. Enthusiasts, please use the 'Spectators Balcony' forum.

Lufthansa A321 pushback incident

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 21st Oct 2004, 19:08
  #1 (permalink)  
LEM
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Roman Empire
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lufthansa A321 pushback incident

Paxing today in EDDF I saw a LH A321 D-AISG pushing from gate A30 at 15:30 utc...

I was thinking "*****, these guys push fast like crazy" when SUDDENLY the airplane came to an ABRUPT STOP, with the bar almost at 90 degrees to the left.

That was a hell of a stop! FA must have all fallen down.

I wonder what happened. Did they set the parking brake by mistake?

After 10 minutes with a half dozen people investigating, the same truck pulled the airplane back onto the stand.
LEM is offline  
Old 21st Oct 2004, 19:29
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Europe
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
LEM,

most probably it was just a sheerbolt in the towbar that broke. Happens all the time. If the AC was pulled back to the stand after only 10 mins, you can be sure that nothing happened to the gear.
Btw, sheerbolts are there to break.....

/fs
Flap Sup is offline  
Old 21st Oct 2004, 22:25
  #3 (permalink)  
LEM
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Roman Empire
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hmmm...
Sounds quite strange...

Why should the shearbolt have broken? The same truck towed the airplane back with the same bar.

The airplane was severely shaken, as if they had suddenly set the parking brake.

If nothing happened to the gear, why didn't they change bar to continue the pushback and depart on time?
LEM is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2004, 08:40
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Overseas
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most likely that the problem was with the tug. If they get an 'oversteer' warning (happens occasionally esp if it is wet) the safety devices on board the tug apply the brakes pretty abruptly. Last time it happened to me they had to send a techie out to reset the tug before it could drive off.
52049er is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2004, 09:07
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: EU
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have experienced the same thing, when I was a FO.

During pushback the captain selected the ENGINE MASTER SW. to START ( cw turn), or at least he would like to do that ! Instead he did the same cw movement on the park brake handle, which made the a/c stop very quickly.....
jaja is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2004, 14:58
  #6 (permalink)  
LEM
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Roman Empire
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
52049er, so why pulling the aircraft back to the stand?
And with the same tug?

jaja, there was a thread on Techlog some time ago about the risk you are mentioning, on the Bus.

My bet is the captain rotated the wrong handle... also because that happened exactly at the point I expected them to start the right engine.

Can't happen on our jurassic jets...
LEM is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2004, 21:07
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Queensland
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Tug disconnect during pushback has potential to be more serious. Need for brake application during fast push down slope with rear c of g could see premature "rotate".
autoflight is offline  
Old 22nd Oct 2004, 22:11
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If the parking brake had been set during push, its likely the sheer pin would have sheered and the tug would not have been able to tow it back to stand without a new bar.

I had a tug stop after the push back and suffer a hydraulic problem. Couldn't disconnect the tug from the bar, which is the sensible thing to do first. It was an Airbus 321, and unless the tug disconnected first, ground crew were unable to disconnect the bar from the nose wheel. After 10 minutes on the taxiway we were instructed to be towed back on to stand to fix the problem there as we were causing an obstruction
Sky_Captain is offline  
Old 23rd Oct 2004, 08:36
  #9 (permalink)  
LEM
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Roman Empire
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If the parking brake had been set during push, its likely the sheer pin would have sheered and the tug would not have been able to tow it back to stand without a new bar.
Agree, when they are pushing the airplane straight rearwards, but in this particular case they were just turning the airplane, with the bar almost at 90 degrees to the fuselage, so maybe the pin didn't sheer despite the violent stop. The airplane was shaken above all laterally.

Btw, just speculating...
Must have been really embarrassing for the Captain
LEM is offline  
Old 23rd Oct 2004, 09:14
  #10 (permalink)  
The Reverend
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
Posts: 2,020
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why should the shearbolt have broken? The same truck towed the airplane back with the same bar.
Probably just fitted the spare shearpin which takes 5-10 minutes.
HotDog is offline  
Old 23rd Oct 2004, 12:08
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It could also be that the nose wheel 95° steering limit on the A321 was exceeded, and that they pulled it back onto the gate so that maintenance could perform a proper inspection.
Safety Guy is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.