Congo Plane Crash
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MountainBear said,
'But I still find it totally unbelievable that this small animal, even in a panic, caused 19 mature people to flip out and run screaming down the aisle. The people in Africa are not such wimps.'
Half the people on board the plane probably believed the reason why it is in the air was down to magic, I think your statement couldn't be further from the truth for Africa!
'But I still find it totally unbelievable that this small animal, even in a panic, caused 19 mature people to flip out and run screaming down the aisle. The people in Africa are not such wimps.'
Half the people on board the plane probably believed the reason why it is in the air was down to magic, I think your statement couldn't be further from the truth for Africa!
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I just don't believe this crocodile story - it's just too good a story to be true! But all the media have picked it up now so it will just become one of the DR Cong myths.
I'd like to see something with better provenance (like some sort of official paper work) before I'll believe this.
I'd like to see something with better provenance (like some sort of official paper work) before I'll believe this.
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All this twaddle about knowing crocs' behaviour.
You would get the same reaction from the appearance of an even smaller animal. Try setting a mouse loose amongst six adult women in a confined space.
But I still find it totally unbelievable that this small animal, even in a panic, caused 19 mature people to flip out and run screaming down the aisle.
No, No Mr Fawlty - ees my hhhamster!
Last edited by Neptunus Rex; 25th Oct 2010 at 13:46. Reason: Add Smiley
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Neptunus Rex: ever seen women react for cockroaches ? 
Not in a plane, but in a different situation - in this part of the world, while in a aircon coach bus, a woman at the last row screamed cockroach, and within a few seconds all the women were in the front, and about to break through the windshield, and would have done so if the brave driver didn't maintain his cool and stop the bus on the shoulder, and it only took a few seconds for the women to empty the bus ... No Kidding.
Not in a plane, but in a different situation - in this part of the world, while in a aircon coach bus, a woman at the last row screamed cockroach, and within a few seconds all the women were in the front, and about to break through the windshield, and would have done so if the brave driver didn't maintain his cool and stop the bus on the shoulder, and it only took a few seconds for the women to empty the bus ... No Kidding.
Last edited by ecureilx; 25th Oct 2010 at 16:52.
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Rubbish
I feel very sad for the friends and relatives of thoses who lost their lives in this accident - and who incidentally could read this thread - that a Pprune discussion comes down to this level of rubbish. 
If you pretend to be "professional", at least behave.
If you pretend to be "professional", at least behave.
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You can be serious....
What can be learned from this accident is how serious the consequence of panic. Aviators have to learn to be calm in the face of distraction and danger. We are trained to cope with in an orderly fashion the lightning strike, the hornets in the cockpit, the hail, the microburst and sudden loss of oil pressure in the starboard engine.
And then we invite the unwashed public to climb blithely into the rear of the aircraft, and ask them to follow our rules. No guns, no knives, no crocodiles. Please fasten your seatbelt and remain seated until the captain has turned off the sign. It is asking a lot of travelers not to panic when badly frightened, whatever the cause. This is where cabin crew prove so important. Tea, coffee and blankets, that's just window dressing for the real job, which is keeping the pax informed, reassured, and well behaved.
The consequence of a sudden rush to one end or the other of a C of G sensitive aircraft is clearly something that must now be addressed in advance, the cabin crew (or pilots if no cabin crew available) must make it clear to all on board in no uncertain terms.
And then we invite the unwashed public to climb blithely into the rear of the aircraft, and ask them to follow our rules. No guns, no knives, no crocodiles. Please fasten your seatbelt and remain seated until the captain has turned off the sign. It is asking a lot of travelers not to panic when badly frightened, whatever the cause. This is where cabin crew prove so important. Tea, coffee and blankets, that's just window dressing for the real job, which is keeping the pax informed, reassured, and well behaved.
The consequence of a sudden rush to one end or the other of a C of G sensitive aircraft is clearly something that must now be addressed in advance, the cabin crew (or pilots if no cabin crew available) must make it clear to all on board in no uncertain terms.
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mary meagher: matter of fact, elsewhere I mentioned that while I was flown in a similar Let 410 aircraft, there was no air hostess/steward: by law, we were shown the safety demo when the aircraft was on the ground and the crew who did the demo STEPPED OUT and closed the door .. no kidding ..
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The L410 is for sure not C/G sensitive. The cabin is not very long compared to other aircraft, but wider. 1+2 Seating.
The Croc story seems like a smoke screen.
The plane did not catch any fire, maybe due to lack of fuel...there is also a story that there were more people on board than seats...i.e. 23 people total.
The Croc story seems like a smoke screen.
The plane did not catch any fire, maybe due to lack of fuel...there is also a story that there were more people on board than seats...i.e. 23 people total.
Person Of Interest
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MAX...that's the Congo for you...gotta love it...not for the faint hearted, but I'd go back in a second if offered a position...
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Dont be so sure to dismiss the croc story....A long time ago I had a snake get loose from some dip**** passenger secretly carrying it in his backpack and the chaos it created in the cabin was nothing short of AMAZING.... that was a small snake, I cant imagine what the pax would do with a live croc on board....no matter how big or small it was
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maxpwr: can you clarify why the Let 410s, atleast those I saw in the this region, need a tail stand when on ground ?? And the tail stand is taken off only when the plane is about to depart ..
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Let IS sensitive to the change of CG, I can "feel" the hostes coming to the cockpit everytime before she arrives.and I have to manage the trim several time to trim the plane, same when she goes back..I can imagine the result if more then one persone SUDDENTLY run frome the rearest seats (where the croc was supposed to be) toward the cockpit in LANDING CONFIGURATION..
ps: i talk about a 55 kg hostes....
the wrekage is still in Bandundu, not far from the treshold, positioned with the tail toward the runway (like if he did a steep 180° before to crash)
ps: i talk about a 55 kg hostes....
the wrekage is still in Bandundu, not far from the treshold, positioned with the tail toward the runway (like if he did a steep 180° before to crash)
You guys operate the Let with a hostie in congo???
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The closest we got to a hostie was a heavy-set Ugandan engineer! (Whom I wouldn't have swapped for even Kelly Brook as a hostie).
I'll echo Matt though, the LET is very trim sensitive (having flown it in the para-drop role, often with the No1 feathered) it's quite alarming for at times for an aeroplane of that size.
Unfortunately accidents like this will forever be associated with flying in the Congo and my sympathies go out to the families of those lost. I still have days when I'd swap my airline job to go back for more of the laughs I had with the Air-Tec guys and girls.
I'll echo Matt though, the LET is very trim sensitive (having flown it in the para-drop role, often with the No1 feathered) it's quite alarming for at times for an aeroplane of that size.
Unfortunately accidents like this will forever be associated with flying in the Congo and my sympathies go out to the families of those lost. I still have days when I'd swap my airline job to go back for more of the laughs I had with the Air-Tec guys and girls.
