Truck wedged under Malev 737 wing
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Truck wedged under Malev 737 wing
I'm sure some of you will be intrested to see a photo that i took today at LHR. Someone in their truck decided to forget about the height and managed to wedge themself under the Malev 737-800 wing. If you are intrested in the originals or want to use the photo please contact me.
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Well... sorry... but a truck like that doesn't get under a 737 wing!
If the photo is genuine (?), then I reckon the truck's stuck under the wing of the Croatian (?) A319/320 wing....
NoD
If the photo is genuine (?), then I reckon the truck's stuck under the wing of the Croatian (?) A319/320 wing....
NoD
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Thats obviously what the truck driver thought!
The photo is genuine, i took it today at about 11am if i remember correctly. The photo is not that good a quality as i have reduced its size from the original for ease of uploading. I have about 6 of the incident as we passed by. The only reason i got to see it was that i was invited to visit ground ops for the day and was riding with the checker team. For those pilots who were operating around LHR today and saw the orange discovery pull up and take photos near to you, that was me.
If any of the LHR ground ops team are on pprune then i thank them for a great visit. 
Its not everyday a student pilot manages to blag a ride around heathrow in the thick of the action.
The photo is genuine, i took it today at about 11am if i remember correctly. The photo is not that good a quality as i have reduced its size from the original for ease of uploading. I have about 6 of the incident as we passed by. The only reason i got to see it was that i was invited to visit ground ops for the day and was riding with the checker team. For those pilots who were operating around LHR today and saw the orange discovery pull up and take photos near to you, that was me.
If any of the LHR ground ops team are on pprune then i thank them for a great visit. Its not everyday a student pilot manages to blag a ride around heathrow in the thick of the action.
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Reminds me of the incident at EGAC when the de-icer took 2-3ft of the BMI A321's starboard elevator!!
Aswell as that a mallaghan dented another A321 around the same period of time.Bad couple of weeks that was at EGAC with 2 A321's parked at EGAC awaiting repairs
AND NO IT WAS NOT ME DRIVING ON EITHER OCCASION
Regards
Aswell as that a mallaghan dented another A321 around the same period of time.Bad couple of weeks that was at EGAC with 2 A321's parked at EGAC awaiting repairsAND NO IT WAS NOT ME DRIVING ON EITHER OCCASION
Regards
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I do agree with you guys that from the angle of the photo it looks as if it is under the busses wing, although if you look at the boundry of the 737, which is identified by the cones on the ground you will see the truck is well within them. Ie inside the wingtip area of the 737. Little bit of a photographic illusion. 
I was there, i saw it, i know what i saw, and i have no reason to lie. Can't prove it any other way though. So i guess you either believe it or not, not that i am really too fussed. Maybe it will remind people to drive around wing tip rather than try to go under them. 
I was there, i saw it, i know what i saw, and i have no reason to lie. Can't prove it any other way though. So i guess you either believe it or not, not that i am really too fussed. Maybe it will remind people to drive around wing tip rather than try to go under them.
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The lorry in question is a 7.5 tonner with a bit of a tall body on it..
The usual standard height is about 10' 6, this one is about 11' 6 so just that bit taller..
I have driven quite a few of these over the years, (non-airside) and IMO it looks like this driver has turned left into the a/c not giving enough swing as he or she turned.. You often see a simular thing on the roads when large vehicles don't take wide enough swing when turning and mount the kerb..
The nearside rear wheels being off the ground point to this being the case as well, the tip of the 73's wing looks as though it's lifting the lorry up.
I think this one could be quite easy to do because the driver would have been totally blind to the wing from his or her cabveiw and this is not really a very common type of overhead obsruction/overhang, having said that if he or she drives airside everyday then.......Doh!!
Trouble is, as long as you have held your car licence before Jan 97 you can drive this lorry on your ordinary car licence, so it could have been the 24 year old office clerk driving this lorry only ever had previously driven a Metro...
OTB
Waiting a loooooooooooooong list of vehicle types driven and a/c flown by all 24 yr old ppruners now
The usual standard height is about 10' 6, this one is about 11' 6 so just that bit taller..
I have driven quite a few of these over the years, (non-airside) and IMO it looks like this driver has turned left into the a/c not giving enough swing as he or she turned.. You often see a simular thing on the roads when large vehicles don't take wide enough swing when turning and mount the kerb..
The nearside rear wheels being off the ground point to this being the case as well, the tip of the 73's wing looks as though it's lifting the lorry up.
I think this one could be quite easy to do because the driver would have been totally blind to the wing from his or her cabveiw and this is not really a very common type of overhead obsruction/overhang, having said that if he or she drives airside everyday then.......Doh!!
Trouble is, as long as you have held your car licence before Jan 97 you can drive this lorry on your ordinary car licence, so it could have been the 24 year old office clerk driving this lorry only ever had previously driven a Metro...
OTB
Waiting a loooooooooooooong list of vehicle types driven and a/c flown by all 24 yr old ppruners now
Last edited by onthebuses; 10th Jul 2004 at 22:17.
What a poser! Sorry, FlyUK, but perspective, the size of the winglet, the angle at which the truck's canted, all seem to indicate it wedged under the wing of the farthest aircraft, an A319(?). Not doubting you, but perhaps another photo would prove your point.
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The usual standard height is about 10' 6, this one is about 11' 6 so just that bit taller..
FlyUk has PM'd me, assured me it is true, and was the 737, and given me links to the original pic, and other (similar ones). They are all from the same angle... However, none addressed my concern that a "large" lorry like that could get under a 737 wing. Guess I need some lorry recognition lessons!
NoD
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It was certainly a crowd puller, can't remember the stand but it was right next to a row of windows and everybody was looking out, especially when the firetrucks arrived! There was plenty of ground ops people taking photos so hopefully there's will come out better than mine! 
Very sad to see it just hanging off the side of the wing.
Very sad to see it just hanging off the side of the wing.
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The reason why the lorry's back tyre is off the ground is that they were loading fuel at the time. The lorry gets wedged in and they continue to load. The aircraft will sink abit on its gear thus making the van lean over more. Only a theory like.
And high lorrys getting jammed can produce some amazing configurations of lorrys. I had to go and help at one where the driver had slammed the brakes on. The front dipped down and when it stopped the front leveled wedging it 3 ft under neithe the bridge. Took disconnecting the suspension bags and a 560 Unit to rip it out.
MJ
And high lorrys getting jammed can produce some amazing configurations of lorrys. I had to go and help at one where the driver had slammed the brakes on. The front dipped down and when it stopped the front leveled wedging it 3 ft under neithe the bridge. Took disconnecting the suspension bags and a 560 Unit to rip it out.
MJ
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I really hope your theory is wrong Mad_Jock because if they continued to load fuel after a truck has driven into the wing then someone should be called to the bosses office!