Bird strike out of Guernsey continues on one Engine to Birmingham
 

Bird strike destroys Flybe plane propeller but pilot continues to fly on ONE ENGINE | Daily Mail Online


OK, Daily Mail, but does anyone know the true story?

OMG - you'd think the world had ended...

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...-plane-engine/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/avia...s-look-on.html

Dispatcher Dan seems to know the full story!! Even for the DM, they've excelled themselves this time.... :ugh:

Think my favourite bit is Credit to the designers of the engine though, when the prop is feathered it really is minimum drag... Hardly any movement despite significant forward speed!! :D

Maybe I've been too long out of the business, but in my day an engine shut-down was an immediate landing at the nearest suitable. Of course, it could be that BHX was the nearest suitable.

A 20 min 2 engine climb out of Guernsey with a tail wind might well put Birmingham as close as any time wise in a s.e descent. It's the time that counts, not distance after all.

Interesting to see the P & J parroting verbatim the hooey from it's gutter companion, the daily wail...

You fly to where it can be serviced and/or where the weather might be better. A shutdown in stable flight is a non event on a twin. If it weren't, then every single engine aircraft would be in a constant emergency. Non-story.

We do not know how precautionary the shutdown was and how confident the commander was of a restart if needed. Probably "very" to both questions.

Twenty minutes into a flight from Guernsey they would already have crossed the south coast. And there are alternates pretty much all the way for an aircraft like the Dash 8 with its quite modest runway requirements.

Oh dear.
The DM again with the obligatory photo of suitably distressed 'survivors'.

The Torygraph was hardly any better with a breathless report of the 'front propeller' being smashed (as opposed to the rear one, of course).

Compare that with the Spicejet 737 at Surat, India a couple of days ago (South Asia forum).
They damn-near ingested a buffalo on take-off.
"The impact with the buffalo was heavy and very noticeable", observed a passenger afterward."

Seems the pilots in India are more cautious than ours - the passengers were required to take another aircraft to continue their journey.

I heard these guys declare a PAN, my colleague remarked about how they didn't envy them having to land single engine in the high winds that were around on the day.

Perhaps they chose to carry on to BHX where a safer landing could have been made without a large crosswind! Sensible decision imo.

where it can be serviced

hmmm don't think that washes...not a factor in determining suitability...weather, airport CFR facilities..runways, approach types,...yes...

I was the OP. In my book a bird strike after take off with any signs of damage you go straight back in. I wonder if they didn't initially see any signs. Then sure if they had reached cruising altitude continue with many alternatives available en route.

Without wishing to comment on this specific incident, because who knows what the truth was behind the newspaper reports.....

Most/many rules sets pertinent to commercial Ops state that if an engine is not capable of producing "go-around" power then it should be treated to all intents and purposes as failed. Most of those rule sets also state that for a twin if you have an engine failure then one should land at the nearest suitable airfield, as ironbutts says servicing doesn't enter into it.

Just saying...

Back into Guernsey single engine? No ta.

Why not? If all else is equal then head to a maintenance base.

About the only thing that can be drawn from that is dispatcher dan knows just enough about aircraft to be dangerous, but not enough to say anything intelligent. He also appears to know even less about the dash.

"The other engine would have to be at full power which is very dangerous" - :ugh:

Yes, nearest suitable may include maintenance base so why not land there. If continuing beyone nearest suitable for convenience of airline then explaining why may be tricky. Most of us have or will at some time be in this position.

One wonders what view Dan's employers might take? Particularly if his company handle Flybe at GCI.

Mine (non aviation) certainly wouldn't have been too happy about me pontificating to press on matters so close to work.

What's the climb rate of the Dash? 20 mins into the flight would indicated a "high" bird and probably quite big to destroy the spinner. What's the sector time GUR(?)-BHX? Be interested to know exactly where the strike occurred.

If you're overhead LHR or LGW, it would only be 5 miles away or thereabouts.... Does that mean it's the nearest suitable in such an event??

Maybe an airport 100 miles away would be more suitable to allow descent, planning, briefing, etc...

:rolleyes:

And the Times' report is accompanied by a photo of a Flybe Saab 340 ...

Flybe pilot flew on one engine after birdstrike | The Times