China Airlines 747 at HNL yesterday?
 

Since some hours online news services report an incident at HNL yesterday. Is there anyone around who could enligthen us a bit more?
Found this in airliners net:http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb...1050547&Ref=AR

Regards

Can't find anything other than the same story repeated on other wires and the aviation-specific news sites are offline on weekends. From the details given it would seem to be a hairy departure (the 'roaring') from 8R, the reef runway. The extended centreline goes right over Honolulu and the building in question sits very close to if not exactly astride it. For noise abatement (an airliner hitting a high-rise makes a terrible bang) an immediate right turn when safe is required departing 8R. Don't know why this flight was unable to comply.

Usual caution should be applied wrt height and distance estimates from 'eye-witnesses', but the fact they could identify the carrier would seem to indicate this was potentially serious.

:eek:

Maybe that's why their callsign is "Die Nasty" or is that Air China?

PTC

From CNN
 

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- Residents of a high-rise told federal authorities a China Airlines jumbo jet flew dangerously close to the side of their 41-story building.

Ana Marie Vaisanen said she could see passengers inside the Boeing 747 as it swept past her 12th-floor condominium at Century Center Saturday morning.

"This roar became louder and louder and louder ... and I look out and there is a 747," Vaisanen said.

Some residents told television station KITV the plane came within 30 feet of the building and that one of its wings passed over the fourth-floor recreation deck.

Building resident Sylvia Thomas was walking her dog when she looked up and saw the jet.

"It went behind the building and came out the other side," she said.

Tweet Coleman, the Federal Aviation Administration's Pacific representative, would only confirm witnesses reported a China Airlines 747 was involved.

"We're doing an investigation on it, so I really don't have any specifics at this time," Coleman said Saturday night.

A call placed to the airline's office at Honolulu International Airport seeking comment went unanswered.

At 350 feet, Century Center, a mixed retail-office-residential condominium building, is one of the tallest structures in Hawaii.

Looking at the alleged clearing of the obstacle (high rise building), doesn't this resemble a climbout with a failed engine at the critical moment (V1) during a climblimited takeoff (ie maxlimited climb takeoffweight)?

Sleeper

Sleeper.......assuming this was a takeoff from 08R, the runway is quite restrictive due buildings/terrain, if I remember correctly both all engine and engine out proceedures required an imediate turn after takeoff. If it was an engine out case, and I doubt it was, then they were very lucky.

CAL denies plane flew too close to Honolulu building

2003-01-06 / Taiwan News, Staff Reporter / By Taijing Wu

China Airlines yesterday denied an Associated Press report that one of the airline's Boeing 747 aircraft flew within 30 feet of a 41-story building in Honolulu on Saturday moring Hawaii time.

Roger Han, spokesman for China Airlines, said, "The United States' Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to CAL that the Boeing mentioned in the AP report landed normally at Honolulu airport according to the instructions given by the control tower."

Tweet Coleman, the FAA's Pacific representative was quoted in the AP report as saying, "We are doing an investigation on it, so I don't have any specifics at this time."

China Airlines also said yesterday it would further investigate the mattter...


http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/20...1041817355.htm

Well I think we can put this one to bed now. Latest reports (from the media - so FWIW) say it was landing 26L, not departing as I initially surmised. Radar tracks purport to show it cleared the building by 900ft, making an altitude of ~1250ft at 5 miles out.

Slow news day in Honolulu Saturday I guess.

FAA Says Plane Wasn't Close To Buildings
Plane Was 1 Mile Off Course

POSTED: 8:16 a.m. HST January 6, 2003
UPDATED: 8:32 a.m. HST January 6, 2003

HONOLULU -- Several people thought they saw a 747 flying dangerously low in Waikiki Saturday morning, but the Federal Aviation Administration said its initial investigation doesn't correspond with those claims.

Several residents told KITV 4 News a China Airlines jumbo jet flew 30 feet from the Century Center high-rise.

FAA officials said the jet was probably not as close as the witnesses thought.

When there are Kona winds, planes come in just off Waikiki on their final approach to Honolulu International Airport.

The FAA said the China Airlines plane was off course, about 1 mile farther inland than normal.

China Airline's sales manager James Tsaur said he spoke with the pilot who said he was at 1,300 feet. Tsaur said everything was within limitations and he is not aware of any violations.


http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news...27/detail.html

Thank you Gentlemen.
Let's bury this story which should rest in peace now.:)

Regards