Alertwomen pilots save over 48 lives aboard
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Alertwomen pilots save over 48 lives aboard
Alert women pilots save over 48 lives aboard Air India plane - The Times of India
Good Job Crew 
GUWAHATI: The presence of mind of two women pilots saved the lives of 48 passengers and the crew aboard a Guwahati-bound Air India plane on Sunday after it was noticed that a front wheel of the aircraft was missing as it came in to land here.
"During a pre-landing check, the ATC discovered that one of the two front wheels were missing. The pilots were immediately informed and an emergency was declared at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport," a source in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here told reporters.
The ATR flight from Silchar was being flown by Urmila Yadav and co-pilot Yashu.
They kept the aircraft circling for more than two hours over the airport to burn off the fuel while preparations were being made for an emergency landing, the source said.
"In such a situation, the remaining fuel is always burnt off to lighten the aircraft and prevent a fatal accident while landing.
"It was a good decision to burn the highly inflammable fuel as it sometimes lead to fatal accidents during emergency landings, the source said.
Although panic gripped passengers after they came to know about the snag, the plane landed safely and the passengers and crew were evacuated safely, an AAI official said.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi congratulated the pilots over the phone for their courage in landing the aircraft and saving precious lives.
The aircraft lost its front wheel during take off, a statement issued from the chief minister's Office here said.
"During a pre-landing check, the ATC discovered that one of the two front wheels were missing. The pilots were immediately informed and an emergency was declared at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport," a source in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here told reporters.
The ATR flight from Silchar was being flown by Urmila Yadav and co-pilot Yashu.
They kept the aircraft circling for more than two hours over the airport to burn off the fuel while preparations were being made for an emergency landing, the source said.
"In such a situation, the remaining fuel is always burnt off to lighten the aircraft and prevent a fatal accident while landing.
"It was a good decision to burn the highly inflammable fuel as it sometimes lead to fatal accidents during emergency landings, the source said.
Although panic gripped passengers after they came to know about the snag, the plane landed safely and the passengers and crew were evacuated safely, an AAI official said.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi congratulated the pilots over the phone for their courage in landing the aircraft and saving precious lives.
The aircraft lost its front wheel during take off, a statement issued from the chief minister's Office here said.
Last edited by GE90-115B; 10th Jun 2012 at 12:07.
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Alert women pilots save over 48 lives
Alert? Does that mean not asleep like some others?
Last edited by BOAC; 10th Jun 2012 at 12:33.
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rots my brain
Excellent journalistic work, Times of India. I feel like I'm right there in 16C, "gripped with panic" :-\
Last edited by douglasheld; 10th Jun 2012 at 12:46.
Credit where it's due?
Seems to me as a humble slf that the pilots did a good job, though no more than would be expected of a competent pilot. And if I had been a passenger, though I would not have panicked, I would have been somewhat concerned for my welfare and double checking that I knew the drill for an emergency evacuation. I would also want to know how come the wheel dropped off in the first place.
No doubt it is no big deal for a professional pilot but it is a big deal for passengers.
If you want to hear a real scare story about bad maintenance, a hang glider pilot of my acquaintance screwed up when shortening an attachment loop to his hang glider, and ended up taking off 'secured' to his glider only by gaffer tape, which parted when he was 30 feet up.
He lived to tell the tale but never lived down the embarrassment.
No doubt it is no big deal for a professional pilot but it is a big deal for passengers.
If you want to hear a real scare story about bad maintenance, a hang glider pilot of my acquaintance screwed up when shortening an attachment loop to his hang glider, and ended up taking off 'secured' to his glider only by gaffer tape, which parted when he was 30 feet up.
He lived to tell the tale but never lived down the embarrassment.
Who noticed the missing wheel?
According to the post, it seems it was ATC. So good job on their part for checking. Not that the flight crew didn't do a good job bringing the plane down on the remaining wheel.
Actually, how would a flight crew even notice a missing nose wheel, alert or not?
Also, I wonder whether or not anyone on the ground at the departure location ever noticed a spare wheel lying around?
According to the post, it seems it was ATC. So good job on their part for checking. Not that the flight crew didn't do a good job bringing the plane down on the remaining wheel.
Actually, how would a flight crew even notice a missing nose wheel, alert or not?
Also, I wonder whether or not anyone on the ground at the departure location ever noticed a spare wheel lying around?
First class maintenance.OIM from May 2012:
Psychophysiological entity
So, if you don't do the nose wheel up correctly, a main wheel can fall off?
Just a piece of bumf, that reminds me why I used to file the circulars in the trash.
Just a piece of bumf, that reminds me why I used to file the circulars in the trash.
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We had this happen on departure at LGW, wasn't noticed until the crew did the walk round in RTM. (the ground crew chocked it without noticing anything unusual).
The wheel was eventually found off the end of the runway back at LGW. What we don't know was how many days it was missing before someone noticed .......
The wheel was eventually found off the end of the runway back at LGW. What we don't know was how many days it was missing before someone noticed .......
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Nobody, or almost nobody, is downplaying the fact that the crew, regardless of gender, dealt with an irregularity resulting in a good outcome.
The article, however, due to the manufactured and excessive high drama, borders on ludicrous is deserving of the most severe derision.
The article, however, due to the manufactured and excessive high drama, borders on ludicrous is deserving of the most severe derision.
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Who noticed the missing wheel?
According to the post, it seems it was
ATC. So good job on their part for checking. Not that the flight crew didn't do
a good job bringing the plane down on the remaining wheel.
Actually, how
would a flight crew even notice a missing nose wheel, alert or not?
Also, I wonder whether or not anyone on the ground at the departure location
ever noticed a spare wheel lying around?
I wondered if somebody at the departure end hadn't noticed it coming off, passed the word, and ATC at the destination simply visually confirmed it was missing? That would be consistent with the way the story was reported, given the lack of diligence of the media in general...
Last edited by Ditchdigger; 10th Jun 2012 at 18:35.
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Women are better , get over it
That said ATRs have a long history of loosing weels . Not the first and not the last one.
As to ATC noticing it, whoow ! they must have very good eyes in India and plenty of time to check the number of wheels on each aircraft before clearing them to land.
That said ATRs have a long history of loosing weels . Not the first and not the last one.
As to ATC noticing it, whoow ! they must have very good eyes in India and plenty of time to check the number of wheels on each aircraft before clearing them to land.
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Originally Posted by Capt Pit Bull
We had this happen on departure at LGW, wasn't noticed until the crew did the walk round in RTM. (the ground crew chocked it without noticing anything unusual).
The wheel was eventually found off the end of the runway back at LGW. What we don't know was how many days it was missing before someone noticed .......
The wheel was eventually found off the end of the runway back at LGW. What we don't know was how many days it was missing before someone noticed .......
Wheels? Luxury lad....
