Ryanair Repair Cockpit Window With Tape?
 

Hey all,

Just read on a couple of websites that a Ryanair flight was aborted because they tried to repair a cockpit window seal with some sticky tape.

Was wondering what the take on this is here. Are the press simply making this sound worse than it is (i.e there is some material that can be used to repair the windows that looks like tape), or have Ryanair really hit the bottom of the barrell this time and it really is just a bit of gaffer tape?

Passengers watch Ryanair mend jet window with TAPE | The Sun |News

Ryanair flight aborted after 'taped window comes loose' - Telegraph

Here is the best picture I can find of this...

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/a...1_1396114a.jpg


Thanks

Usual press garbage!

All airlines use high speed tape in accordance with established procedures.

Obviously we don't know the full facts in this case but whilst I don't entirely agree with the business ethics of Ryanair I can tell you their maintenance is to the highest standards and well above the minimum required by the aviation authorities.

As ffb says - speed tape, probably applied to protect renewed sealant from rain etc while it cures - not an unusual procedure. If it is any consolation, I had a big barney with BA in my time and refused to fly a 737-200 where the broken hinges on the leading edge of a largish access panel just in front of the engine was 'repaired' with same. I won.

Like fireflybob, I'll take a step into the unknown and risk confirming that high speed tape is frequently used to temporarily fair minor abnormalities on the aircraft or engine skin.
I doubt it would hold any significant pressure and I'm sure that is not what the engineers were attempting.
Unfortunately, it seems to have partially come off and started thrashing around.
(Must be an opportunity for the Prune wits there :} )

I don't think MoL would cut any corners, he is far too wise for that as he knows the press are waiting for an opportunity to knock the airline. Similarly, he knows that if an incident were proved to be down to a maintenance failure, the press would make a banquet out of it.

I despise their business ethics and I would not fly on them, but I'm confident that their safety standards are high.

This seems like a non story which has been whipped up into a big deal by the media. However, given Ryanairs past form for shameless maipulation of the media (think 'fat tax', charging for loos, standing only flights), I do find it slightly amusing that they don't seem to want to comment on this issue...:E

Reminds me when my ship (a Fokker F100) was in the newspaper because we seemed to have repaired our "windows" with "duct tape" so they could not fall out... :ugh:

In fact this so called high speed tape is used to cover the silicon gel around the windshield. This is a standard procedure when you have to replace the windshields. Just screwing them in would not help, because they are not waterthight, so you apply some sealant around it. Before it dries out you cover them with the tape.

So far, so good. Again a newspaper headline without a cause.

Figured this was blown out of proportion....

Have to say though the term "High Speed Tape" always brings on a smile..

Does it have go faster stripes?? Have to have tie-downs when stored???

:p

Some great examples

A non-event blown out of proportion be sensationalistic and lazy journalism. Contradictory statements given by the passenger interviewed, and the Telegraph reporter using The Sun as her source of information.

Like is commented above, I despise Ryanair and MoL's business ethics (or lack thereof) but am sure they do not cut corners when it comes to maintenance procedures.

Even has it's own wiki page..

Speed tape - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

serves all purposes
 

after first trying with some Pritt glue stick ... :p

agreed with the above ... press sensationalism yet again, BUT once upon a time I was presented with an RJ100 with a C panel taped neatly shut to stop it leaking .. erm that's the cockpit emergency exit guys !!.
Tape removed, we flew back for a new seal to be fitted.

Apparently also a former Air Accident Investigator. Perhaps in an age when windows were fitted from the outside.

The BBC had him commenting on the Hudson river incident...

BBC News | FORUM | Air accident investigator Captain John Guntrip

John Guntrip was a Britannia Airways pilot. He once turned up to position on another carrier wearing shorts and sandals, sporting the longest toe nails I've ever seen.
He wasn't much liked by the F/O's who had the misfortune to fly with him.

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the comments and replys guys.

As someone whos not particuarly involved in the aviation industry, but has an interest in it I was just wondering if how serious this was / wasnt. As as it appears from the answers ive been given, it wasnt.

Apparently also a former Air Accident Investigator. Perhaps in an age when windows were fitted from the outside.

Most windows are fitted from the outside, certainly on the 757,767,A300 & A320 series of aircraft i've worked on.

I can only recall one incident in which a Captain was very nearly sucked out of a window, and it was not with Ryanair.

Maybe the guy (former accident investigator) still had the BAC 1-11-incident (captain blown out of the window) in his mind.

737NG:
The gap between a new Cockpit window and the frame must be sealed due to aerodynamic reason.
Cure time can be several hours so Boeing gives a solution in its AMM:
"Scotch 425 Aluminum Foil Tape" looks like duct tape and is known in the aviation as high speed tape.

So I could use it on my old car & it'd go faster?