Ba 777 Full Evacuation In Iah
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Hi All,
Take my word for it, BA procedures were followed throughout through all phases of the event. Doors open on the left are quite appropriate for the factual circumstances.
Hi vis apparel is frankly a red herring on a bright summer afternoon.
The crew attended to the pax for several hours after because they are professionals. They left when the job was finished.
Regards,
BlueUpGood
Take my word for it, BA procedures were followed throughout through all phases of the event. Doors open on the left are quite appropriate for the factual circumstances.
Hi vis apparel is frankly a red herring on a bright summer afternoon.
The crew attended to the pax for several hours after because they are professionals. They left when the job was finished.
Regards,
BlueUpGood
worldwidelad and paddyinuk,
Both your postings sound needlessly defensive and, with respect, automatically dismissive of intelligent observations by someone who was there but on the other side of the fence, as it were.
If Mick's comments had sounded like an arrogant "this is the way it should have been done" it might be reasonable to jump down his throat. But they don't.
Both your postings sound needlessly defensive and, with respect, automatically dismissive of intelligent observations by someone who was there but on the other side of the fence, as it were.
If Mick's comments had sounded like an arrogant "this is the way it should have been done" it might be reasonable to jump down his throat. But they don't.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Erm........ NoD the aircraft did not leave again with one pax less..... it is still there with its sister ship G-VIIG. And I DO know that as I have just operated in from IAH earlier today.
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Now BA have two 777's stuck in IAH it looks like LGW will be 'borrowing' a 777 from LHR to make-up the holes in the Program.
Not a good week for BA in the states - what with the cancellations due to the Hurricane - perhaps next week will be better.
Not a good week for BA in the states - what with the cancellations due to the Hurricane - perhaps next week will be better.
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G-VIID (the 777 which returned to IAH with the emergency) has now had a new left engine fitted, and will be positioned back to LGW, empty, in the next couple of days. Unsure whether the new engine is a spare BA one, or a brand new component delivered from GE.
Cheers
Cheers
Last edited by gliding777; 19th Aug 2004 at 23:32.
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PPrune at its best again.
Rumour pomposity and know alls and usually ignoring (blinkered) the one or two posts that are obviously well informed.
Glad to see the traditions are alive and well.
NN
Rumour pomposity and know alls and usually ignoring (blinkered) the one or two posts that are obviously well informed.
Glad to see the traditions are alive and well.
NN
I was also a passenger on this flight. How serious the incident was depends on where you were sitting. If you were on the right hand side of the plane facing backwards (and thus unable to see the engine or the smoke moving down the cabin from the front) it was a non event. If you were on the left side, able to see the engine and the smoke it must have been much more exciting.
BA, at all levels, were superb. The crew staying in the lounge and chattingwith the passengers after the event was much appreciated. I don't think they had to, they just felt it was the right thing to do. Both the pilots and BA management were very open as to what happened and the logic of how they responded.
As to the lessons learnt, many of the passengers were from the oil industry, where near miss reporting and post incident analysis of how to do better is a way of life. As one of the BA managers commented, 'we practice this every six months, but it happens so rarely for real that we would appreciate any comments you have on how we did'. I think BA did as well as anybody could reasonably have done on the day, but I also think they are big enough to learn any lessons that are there to be learnt. For me the head count was a non issue, because they went throughthe plane before they dsembarked - they knew everyone was out. I also have some comments, and I'll give them to BA direct. But overall, I rate BA more highly now than I did before this incident.
BA, at all levels, were superb. The crew staying in the lounge and chattingwith the passengers after the event was much appreciated. I don't think they had to, they just felt it was the right thing to do. Both the pilots and BA management were very open as to what happened and the logic of how they responded.
As to the lessons learnt, many of the passengers were from the oil industry, where near miss reporting and post incident analysis of how to do better is a way of life. As one of the BA managers commented, 'we practice this every six months, but it happens so rarely for real that we would appreciate any comments you have on how we did'. I think BA did as well as anybody could reasonably have done on the day, but I also think they are big enough to learn any lessons that are there to be learnt. For me the head count was a non issue, because they went throughthe plane before they dsembarked - they knew everyone was out. I also have some comments, and I'll give them to BA direct. But overall, I rate BA more highly now than I did before this incident.
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I was a passenger on BA flight 2024 which was evacuated at IAH. I have been trying since I returned home to Texas to get info on the cause of this fire. I have called and e-mailed the NTSB and they keep telling me the preliminary report is not yet available. Can anyone tell me, please, how long this process normally takes? Or is there any inside info on what happened?
Here's the way I remember it: I was sitting in coach very near the rear of the plane. I heard the noise coming from the engine but tried to ignore it. The captain announced to us, very calmly, that they were talking to ground control. I knew this meant we were going back, and for about 30 seconds I was annoyed at the delay, until I started to smell the smoke. I knew then that the problem was serious and I just wanted to get on the ground alive. The plane made a sharp turn and the captain continued to speak to us calmly, reassuring us we would be landing soon. The smoke was getting really thick and was making me feel queasy. The captain apologized for the smoke and recommend putting your head down between the knees to avoid breathing smoke. I am asthmatic, so the smoke bothered me more than in would most people. I kept my head down until I felt the plane touch down. The captain had given us no indication in the air that there would be an emergency evac, and this is probably best because it might have caused panic. Once the plane stopped, he said something like, "As most of you have figured out, this is an emergency situation, EVACUATE, EVACUATE, EVACUATE!!" The FA's opened all of the exit doors, then one FA said on the loudspeaker, "Right side only, right side only," because the firemen were still putting out the fire on the left side of the plane.
We all jumped onto the chutes and ran to the adjacent runway. Many of the crew came over to comfort those of us who were upset, and the captain even gave me a hug. We stood there for some time until the buses came to take us back to the airport, then we were ushered into a lounge with free food and bar drinks. Most of the crew members were in the lounge with us and were still offering comfort to those who needed it. They also gave us free calling cards in case we needed to talk to someone from home.
I have been a flying to Europe with BA for many years. Before this incident, I liked BA for the most part, although I am not happy with the changes they have made to the Executive Club recently. However, after this incident, I will never have an unkind word to say about BA for the rest of my life. Their handling of this situation was superb beyond words, and I cannot say enough about the newfound respect I have for BA. They showed genuine concern for our safety, and really cared about the emotional distress this caused. If anyone working for BA is reading this, please give yourself a big pat on the back and show this message to anyone you think will be interested.
Once again, any info on the cause of this fire would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the way I remember it: I was sitting in coach very near the rear of the plane. I heard the noise coming from the engine but tried to ignore it. The captain announced to us, very calmly, that they were talking to ground control. I knew this meant we were going back, and for about 30 seconds I was annoyed at the delay, until I started to smell the smoke. I knew then that the problem was serious and I just wanted to get on the ground alive. The plane made a sharp turn and the captain continued to speak to us calmly, reassuring us we would be landing soon. The smoke was getting really thick and was making me feel queasy. The captain apologized for the smoke and recommend putting your head down between the knees to avoid breathing smoke. I am asthmatic, so the smoke bothered me more than in would most people. I kept my head down until I felt the plane touch down. The captain had given us no indication in the air that there would be an emergency evac, and this is probably best because it might have caused panic. Once the plane stopped, he said something like, "As most of you have figured out, this is an emergency situation, EVACUATE, EVACUATE, EVACUATE!!" The FA's opened all of the exit doors, then one FA said on the loudspeaker, "Right side only, right side only," because the firemen were still putting out the fire on the left side of the plane.
We all jumped onto the chutes and ran to the adjacent runway. Many of the crew came over to comfort those of us who were upset, and the captain even gave me a hug. We stood there for some time until the buses came to take us back to the airport, then we were ushered into a lounge with free food and bar drinks. Most of the crew members were in the lounge with us and were still offering comfort to those who needed it. They also gave us free calling cards in case we needed to talk to someone from home.
I have been a flying to Europe with BA for many years. Before this incident, I liked BA for the most part, although I am not happy with the changes they have made to the Executive Club recently. However, after this incident, I will never have an unkind word to say about BA for the rest of my life. Their handling of this situation was superb beyond words, and I cannot say enough about the newfound respect I have for BA. They showed genuine concern for our safety, and really cared about the emotional distress this caused. If anyone working for BA is reading this, please give yourself a big pat on the back and show this message to anyone you think will be interested.
Once again, any info on the cause of this fire would be greatly appreciated.
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Re Mick814's comment #4:
In a former life I was an SEP instructor. Getting crew members to understand the difference between (and importance of) upwind and downwind was a major problem.
A well-done to the BA crew involved in this incident.
In a former life I was an SEP instructor. Getting crew members to understand the difference between (and importance of) upwind and downwind was a major problem.
A well-done to the BA crew involved in this incident.
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I know one of the crew members on this....whilst I suspect they were shaken by the event, I know the primary concern was for the passengers. As all the previous dialogue confirms, the crew did an excellent job on the day....not just in getting it down safely, but in managing the passenger welfare element at the same time.
Well done to all.
Well done to all.
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In trim, you said you know a crew member from that flight. Would you kindly print out my post and send it to them? I spoke with most crew members that day to commend them personally, but just in case I missed your friend, please show them my post and send my regards. Thanks very much.
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PKM, I'm sure one of our 777 drivers out there can give you chapter and verse, but our in house magazine published pics of a broken HP turbine blade which caused the whole problem. The engine obviously then went out of balance, giving a vibration warning (not fire warning) on the flight deck. The crew throttled the engine back as required by the checklist but then became aware of the smoke, hence the hasty return.
The smoke was caused by engine oil being released into the conditioning ducts by damaged oil seals.
The smoke was caused by engine oil being released into the conditioning ducts by damaged oil seals.
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Aerostar6, thank you so very much for that information. I'm glad to know the cause of this incident. I am not a person with a background in aviation, as are most of you on this board, so I have often wondered just how much danger we were in. I know this type of incident is rare, but when it does happen, is this something that usually turns out OK, or have I used up 8 of my 9 lives?
One other question for the experts, please. We did not do a fuel dump and I have heard that an overweight landing can be a very dangerous situation. Can anyone tell me what are the risks involved with an overweight landing of a 777?
Thanks.
One other question for the experts, please. We did not do a fuel dump and I have heard that an overweight landing can be a very dangerous situation. Can anyone tell me what are the risks involved with an overweight landing of a 777?
Thanks.
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Overweight landings do not pose much of a risk to passengers or crew.. an aircraft is certified to carry out (I precis here, so techies don't slam me for the figures not being spot on or given in feet-per-second) a landing at max take-off weight with a normal flare, and at max landing weight with effectively no flare, or only a marginal flare. There would be a structural inspection required following an overweight landing, which is one of the considerations a Captain has when faced with the choice; if the aircraft is on fire, then the choice is simple. Fuel dump is a luxury of time; if your crew are dumping fuel, then the imminent danger has passed... generally.
There can be a difference of many tonnes between max takeoff weight and max landing weight. Believe me, with a fire on board that wasn't going out, you would have a firm, overweight landing carried out within minutes, maximum braking (which would REALLY surprise you!) a nice trip down the slides encouraged by cabin crew who had changed personality so much you were blasted out of your stunned deer-in-the-headlights torpor and were out of the aircraft before you really knew what was going on, and then you could start worrying about the overweight portion of the problem from the grass at the side of the runway. As you know
Always plan the escape route. It isn't found on the letters page of The Times, unlike most business passengers seem to think.
There can be a difference of many tonnes between max takeoff weight and max landing weight. Believe me, with a fire on board that wasn't going out, you would have a firm, overweight landing carried out within minutes, maximum braking (which would REALLY surprise you!) a nice trip down the slides encouraged by cabin crew who had changed personality so much you were blasted out of your stunned deer-in-the-headlights torpor and were out of the aircraft before you really knew what was going on, and then you could start worrying about the overweight portion of the problem from the grass at the side of the runway. As you know
Always plan the escape route. It isn't found on the letters page of The Times, unlike most business passengers seem to think.