Dead Body in LG Bay - BA 747
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I was at Cape Town international today.
Spoke to the ground engineers, and they mentioned "their quote"
The BA747 was advised of the situation by ATC after ATC had been informed by ACSA security of a person seen heading towards the aircraft whilst at the holding point.
ACSA security vehicle could not get closer due to the B747 with all engines running at the holding point.
ATC asked the crew what their intentions were...re the possible LMC/security issue.
the words replied with were to effect of "We will let LHR personnel deal with the problem if there is one".
and so the aircraft departed...ACSA vehicle entered the aircraft manouvering area after the departure, and continued the search, but no persons found.
Spoke to the ground engineers, and they mentioned "their quote"
The BA747 was advised of the situation by ATC after ATC had been informed by ACSA security of a person seen heading towards the aircraft whilst at the holding point.
ACSA security vehicle could not get closer due to the B747 with all engines running at the holding point.
ATC asked the crew what their intentions were...re the possible LMC/security issue.
the words replied with were to effect of "We will let LHR personnel deal with the problem if there is one".
and so the aircraft departed...ACSA vehicle entered the aircraft manouvering area after the departure, and continued the search, but no persons found.
ATC asked the crew what their intentions were...the words replied with were to effect of "We will let LHR personnel deal with the problem if there is one".
The action will all happen in the wheel wells.
Quite surprising, actually, that Al Q hasn't long ago picked up on this.........
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Too many opinions on this thread and hardly any facts.
1) This is a common occurrence all over the world where people are impoverished. We fly to many airports where the taxiways are monitored and some where we are even escorted to the runway to prevent would-be stowaways.
2) How desperate is the person who tries this? Apparently willing to die trying.
3) Those who "succeed" are the ones who go undetected. They do end up dying.
4) If airliners turned back for every "maybe", there would be a whole lot of turnbacks all over the world, and most of them unfounded.
5) It's IMPOSSIBLE to see from the cockpit windows if someone is stowing away in the wheel wells.
6) If the flight crew and airport authorities had POSITIVE confirmation that a stowaway had succeeded in gaining access to the airplane, they would definitely have returned to the field.
Don't stand on the sidelines and speculate. If you want to talk sh#t, at least know your sh#t.
1) This is a common occurrence all over the world where people are impoverished. We fly to many airports where the taxiways are monitored and some where we are even escorted to the runway to prevent would-be stowaways.
2) How desperate is the person who tries this? Apparently willing to die trying.
3) Those who "succeed" are the ones who go undetected. They do end up dying.
4) If airliners turned back for every "maybe", there would be a whole lot of turnbacks all over the world, and most of them unfounded.
5) It's IMPOSSIBLE to see from the cockpit windows if someone is stowing away in the wheel wells.
6) If the flight crew and airport authorities had POSITIVE confirmation that a stowaway had succeeded in gaining access to the airplane, they would definitely have returned to the field.
Don't stand on the sidelines and speculate. If you want to talk sh#t, at least know your sh#t.
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I can't help but wonder if any of these desperate people in Haiti, China, Africa, etc. have been educated to the point that they are aware of temperature at 35,000 feet or oxygen concentration at altitude. Do they even understand that aircraft are pressurized?
As for the crew in this case, if they were told that there was a good chance that someone extra was aboard and they departed anyway, their education may not be complete either.
As for the crew in this case, if they were told that there was a good chance that someone extra was aboard and they departed anyway, their education may not be complete either.
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I remain somewhat surprised that in the modern security climate, fairly good evidence of an unauthorized person in close proximity to an operating airliner did not result in a greater reaction than this did.
I thought some aircraft had wheel bay cameras? If not, maybe this could and should become a feature.
make a list an we'll get to it eventually
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@ Airguitar - "5) It's IMPOSSIBLE to see from the cockpit windows if someone is stowing away in the wheel wells."
Wouldn't cost much extra to fit wheel wells with either motion detectors or webcams.
Wouldn't cost much extra to fit wheel wells with either motion detectors or webcams.
Wouldn't cost much extra to fit wheel wells with either motion detectors or webcams.
As for cameras, might be a "nice to have" but there's more than enough safety critical stuff that needs to be actioned inside the flightdeck during the taxi-out and line-up without adding a "stowaways...checked" line to the before take - off checklist. That has to be the job of the airport authorities.
Last edited by wiggy; 29th Aug 2012 at 06:12. Reason: General tidying and correcting spolling errors....
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Education?
It has been said in posts above that clearly the stowaways don't know the risks and need education about the dangers.
I would guess that the only education on this subject they have had would have been from Hollywood action movies were the hero grabs hold of the landing gear and then climbs into the aircraft cabin via a door.
Hardly surprising that the poor and desperate from the third world are willing to risk all with the "education" they have received.
I would guess that the only education on this subject they have had would have been from Hollywood action movies were the hero grabs hold of the landing gear and then climbs into the aircraft cabin via a door.
Hardly surprising that the poor and desperate from the third world are willing to risk all with the "education" they have received.
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from iAfrica.com
All international flights out of Cape Town International Airport after sunset will be escorted before take-off, it was reported on Thursday.
"This means international flights will have a security patrol vehicle driving behind them, with a clear line of sight of the undercarriage," airport spokesperson Deidre Davids told the Cape Times.
She said the security presence on the airport's perimeter fence had also been strengthened.
A man last seen climbing over the airport fence was found dead a week ago in a British Airways plane in London. He had apparently run towards a runway where the plane was in its holding position, ready for take-off.
His body had apparently not been identified.
"This means international flights will have a security patrol vehicle driving behind them, with a clear line of sight of the undercarriage," airport spokesperson Deidre Davids told the Cape Times.
She said the security presence on the airport's perimeter fence had also been strengthened.
A man last seen climbing over the airport fence was found dead a week ago in a British Airways plane in London. He had apparently run towards a runway where the plane was in its holding position, ready for take-off.
His body had apparently not been identified.
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So what about other airports? Why just CPT? The area round JNB has a far higher number of desperate people who'd like to escape.
Interesting, because before 1994 desperate Africans wanted to get in to SA. Now they're there they want out.
Interesting, because before 1994 desperate Africans wanted to get in to SA. Now they're there they want out.
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OK, my perhaps unwelcome take on this... IF the BA crew was indeed informed that an unknown person had apparently approached the aircraft on foot whilst holding on the taxiway, then I believe that they should have taken this far more seriously. A careful search should have been requested. If that meant a taxi over to some holding apron, then so be it. If that meant shutdown of the inboard engines, then so be it. If that meant a return to the gate, then so be it.
As others have pointed out, the event of an individual hiding in a wheel well is not uncommon. But the event of a security van actually apparently seeing someone do this is unique as far as I know.
As others have pointed out, the event of an individual hiding in a wheel well is not uncommon. But the event of a security van actually apparently seeing someone do this is unique as far as I know.
Last edited by RobertS975; 30th Aug 2012 at 18:05.