Delta 757 hard landing this morning at Azores PDL
I remember the Funchal 757 well, it was very creased all the way up behind the nosewheel. Boeing put on a new nose and flew it back to Seattle to complete the repair.
Actually it flew to Luton. The Boeing field engineers put a pit prop through the DV window frame, jacked her up, drifted down and then welded the nose gear in to place, and they flew her back gear down. So no new nose. Save the radome; couldn’t fix the antenna so no radar on the way home.
And prior to that they had to weld the windows shut as the DV window frame was distorted. !! Funny old thing that.
Brilliant, old fashioned Boeing engineering at its best. Long gone I fear.
And prior to that they had to weld the windows shut as the DV window frame was distorted. !! Funny old thing that.
Brilliant, old fashioned Boeing engineering at its best. Long gone I fear.
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The ETOPS 757s are a unique fleet that has given DL a lot of versatility and allowed it to start up several new seasonal routes to western Europe. I suspect airframe parts are easy to come by given all the recently retired airframes. Without knowing exactly what needs to be repaired or replaced, it doesn't surprise me at all that they have opted to repair this aircraft.
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There is a flight plan filed to ferry the damaged Delta B757 from PDL to KATL for today September 16.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL9959
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL9959
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It could be that being a "Random Route", outside of the Organized Track System, which is normally further north, then the area sectors involved, Santa Maria and New York, might have said "OK", even if your RVSM capability is not fully capable on this occasion.
That will soon get the creases out. 
Joking aside, I'm not convinced that the initial damage assessment at PDL which allowed for a non-revenue ferry flight back to base will necessarily mean that the aircraft is repaired and returned to service.
Joking aside, I'm not convinced that the initial damage assessment at PDL which allowed for a non-revenue ferry flight back to base will necessarily mean that the aircraft is repaired and returned to service.
I recall 2 757s being repaired on the apron in Kunming in 1991 or '92 following heavy landings, apparently nose wheel first. In both cases, only a few months apart. A bamboo hangar was built around the nose area back to the leading edges and covered with strippey plastic sheets. Teams from Boeing did the work on the apron area., they took a couple of months in each case.
Being 7000' AMSL we were warned about flaring early at Kunming.
Being 7000' AMSL we were warned about flaring early at Kunming.
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I don't think internal over pressure has been included in any transport aircrafts bending calculations (it makes them stronger). In space applications it has everyday usage in liquid fuel tanks.
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I believe that the aircraft was scheduled to go in for a D check after the summer travel season anyway. DL uses the ETOPS B757 fleet on several seasonal routes to Europe mainly from JFK and BOS that disappear in September. I personally have no idea how long a D check is supposed to take, but it certainly seems that N543US is destined to return to service.
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The DL 757 that sustained severe damage back in August after a hard landing at Ponta Delgado in the Azores has now returned to revenue service. Many had originally thought it was a w/o.
Delta does love their 757s - 127 of them in their active fleet.
They only have 11 new aircraft currently on order, so they are not looking to retire many aircraft anytime soon.
They only have 11 new aircraft currently on order, so they are not looking to retire many aircraft anytime soon.
