Ethiopian Q400 runway excursion Juba

[wasp9]

Ethiopian Dash8 Q400 runway excursion in bad weather Juba 40 minutes ago....

[OldnGrounded]

Originally Posted by wasp9

Ethiopian Dash8 Q400 runway excursion in bad weather Juba 40 minutes ago....

Apparently while attempting TO in wet conditions. Photo from AvHerald:



" An Ethiopian Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, so far unknown flight, went off runway 13 while departing Juba. No injuries are being reported, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however."

[TriStar_drvr]

A piece of a propeller blade penetrated the fuselage. Perhaps the blade let go on the takeoff roll, and during the abort the aircraft was allowed to drift off the runway. Or the aircraft drifted off the runway, the propeller struck the ground when the landing gear collapsed, and a fragment of the propeller broke and penetrated the fuselage. I’m sure the proper authorities will issue a preliminary report soon.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4d068d9d&opt=0

[dixi188]

Not the first time that a Q400 prop blade had entered the cabin following ground strike.
Never sit in line with the props!

[BRUpax]

Not the first time that a Q400 prop blade had entered the cabin following ground strike.
Never sit in line with the props!

Quite so. You would think that they would have improved the protection by now! Maybe one or two lives a year doesn't justify the expense?

[jmmoric]

Guess no aircraft built out there can withstand a prop detatching and flying towards the cabin?

[double_barrel]

Originally Posted by dixi188

Not the first time that a Q400 prop blade had entered the cabin following ground strike.
Never sit in line with the props!

Seatguru should add this to their evaluation of seats on the Dash-8. In fact,maybe they have, row 11 presumably has no window as it's in the line of fire should a blade let go?

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by double_barrel

Seatguru should add this to their evaluation of seats on the Dash-8. In fact,maybe they have, row 11 presumably has no window as it's in the line of fire should a blade let go?

As per previous posts, the fuselage reinforcement in line with the props has no hope of stopping a liberated blade - it's there to protect against ice shed from the prop, and a by-product of the absence of a window is that pax don't get to see a whirling prop a few inches away.

[dixi188]

Originally Posted by double_barrel

Seatguru should add this to their evaluation of seats on the Dash-8. In fact,maybe they have, row 11 presumably has no window as it's in the line of fire should a blade let go?

I stopped working on Q400s three months ago, but on Flybe aircraft, I think row 7 or 8 are in line with the props. There are windows in that area and the ice guard is shaped around them. Sometimes get chips in windows 8, 9, or 10 on the right hand side, but I think this is more likely stone damage rather than ice. Don't seem to get it on the left side.
78 seats, rows 1 to 21 with no row 13 and only 2 seats in row 1. I see other configs number rows differently.

I saw a Viscount crash at Hurn in 1972, stalled in the flare, and pieces of blade were in the seats. Only two pilots on board and no one hurt.

Sorry for thread drift.

Always sit as far back as possible. Never heard of an aircraft reversing into a mountain. (That's why the flight recorders are at the back and the pilots at the front).

[JEP]

In this old case - pax next to the propeller on the affected side were removed before the emergency landing. See page 36 & 37

https://reports.aviation-safety.net/...H8D_LN-RDK.pdf

[Chris2303]

I'm certain that the old F27-100 of NZNAC had a double skin on the fuselage in line with the props, at least when I was doing loadsheets for them.

Was that more for ice protection than errant propeller blades?

[andrasz]

Originally Posted by Chris2303

Was that more for ice protection than errant propeller blades?

Yes it was.