Hydraulic Failure BA0943 12-07-06
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Hydraulic Failure BA0943 12-07-06
Hi All,
I was a passenger on board the BA0943 Dusseldorf - LHR yesterday. As we came in to land, at about 100 ft, the pilot suddenly aborted the landing, and headed straight up again. We cut straight across the route of other ac taking off, causing another aircraft to roll through almost 90 degrees to avoid us. I'd estimate it's distance as no more than 500m from us. The incident was witnessed by a number of people omn the ground, waiting at the T1 drop off area. Turned out our aircraft (A320) had lost hydraulics, and the landing gear hadn't locked.
Plane headed out over the English Channel to use up fuel. The pilot appeared to have no rudder control, since all manouvers were made through rolling, and the pilot informed us that he had no brakes either. After preparing us for an emergancy landing, the plane managed to land back at LHR.
Was suprised not to have read anything in the media - so was anybody onboard the craft which had to manouver so violently to avoid us? What would have happened if we couldn't have locked the landing gear?
I was a passenger on board the BA0943 Dusseldorf - LHR yesterday. As we came in to land, at about 100 ft, the pilot suddenly aborted the landing, and headed straight up again. We cut straight across the route of other ac taking off, causing another aircraft to roll through almost 90 degrees to avoid us. I'd estimate it's distance as no more than 500m from us. The incident was witnessed by a number of people omn the ground, waiting at the T1 drop off area. Turned out our aircraft (A320) had lost hydraulics, and the landing gear hadn't locked.
Plane headed out over the English Channel to use up fuel. The pilot appeared to have no rudder control, since all manouvers were made through rolling, and the pilot informed us that he had no brakes either. After preparing us for an emergancy landing, the plane managed to land back at LHR.
Was suprised not to have read anything in the media - so was anybody onboard the craft which had to manouver so violently to avoid us? What would have happened if we couldn't have locked the landing gear?
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There was an attack helicopter in the vicinity abeam Bedfont at the same time. That suddenly short north at the same time in a Northolt direction. Not sure if it was a Apache or Eurocopter Tiger,, it looked vicious. Sounds odd as your a/c would cut across the path of a departing a/c. That is serious.
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Hydraulics
On the A320 as woth other Airbus products all 3 hydraulic systems power the rudder and the loss on one puts that system servo into "damped mode"
Spanner
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<<As we came in to land, at about 100 ft, the pilot suddenly aborted the landing, and headed straight up again. We cut straight across the route of other ac taking off, causing another aircraft to roll through almost 90 degrees to avoid us. I'd estimate it's distance as no more than 500m from us.>>
This sounds a bit sensationalist! Any Heathrow Tower ATCOs about???
This sounds a bit sensationalist! Any Heathrow Tower ATCOs about???
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Original post didn't say it dumped fuel
Also agree with 'heathrow directors' post above.
If they'd had a gear problem they were aware of, it's highly unlikely they'd have left it to 100' before deciding to go around
Perhaps they had to go around for traffic on the runway, and subsequently suffered a hydraulic failure?
As to the proximity of the other aircraft on the G/A, it's nigh on impossible as a passenger to judge the proximity of other aircraft, especially when one or both aircraft are turning.
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Why would loss hydraulic power keep the gear from locking down? How did they even get the main gear doors open and the nose gear unlocked with without hydraulic power (emergancy gear release)? Something does not make sense to me.
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Why would loss hydraulic power keep the gear from locking down?
How did they even get the main gear doors open and the nose gear unlocked with without hydraulic power (emergancy gear release)? Something does not make sense to me.
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Green hydraulics required to lock gear down via Lock Stay Actuator !
Springs just a back up .
With free fall extension and therefore with NLG doors open for landing it is my understanding that the NWS disabled........
Probably this would be of biggest concern although if ,as has been proven with many cases of the NLG Wheels pointing off centre during landing, should not present such a big problem .................
Springs just a back up .
With free fall extension and therefore with NLG doors open for landing it is my understanding that the NWS disabled........
Probably this would be of biggest concern although if ,as has been proven with many cases of the NLG Wheels pointing off centre during landing, should not present such a big problem .................
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Actually kids, the gear is locked down mechanically. How it gets unlocked to drop is another story. There's no "crank" in the 320, it's a switch which drives the uplocks to open and gravity does all the work when you lose hydraulics. Normally, all is done via the gear lever which commands a bunch of electro mechanical stuff, gear doors open, uplocks to unlock, gear actuator to extend. When the hydraulics are not there, electric motors unlock all of the locks, gravity and wind does the work and the springs seal the deal.
That's why gear generally extend fore to aft
I have no idea why they didn't notice the unsafe gear at 100 feet. If you had three green at a hundred and suddenly one went red, what would you do?
PB
That's why gear generally extend fore to aft
I have no idea why they didn't notice the unsafe gear at 100 feet. If you had three green at a hundred and suddenly one went red, what would you do?
PB
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Nothing more than sensationalist crap. 
If you look at the GA procedures for LHR then you will see some of them do turn accross the SIDs'- Standard GA procedures seem to have been followed. How can you judge that an aircraft had to turn through 90degress for avoidance from the cabin??
Many things in your story smack of passenger ignorance and jumpimg to conclusions regarding what is actually taking place in the flight deck and what you are actually being told/second guessing.
For instance, how xan you judge 5oo' separation from the cabin? i have been a pilot for 10 years+ and i reckon i couldn't be that accurate...
I would hazard i guess that the aircraft didn't head out over the channel to use up fuel as you say, but merely was vectored clear of the London TMA in order to complete the checklist.
Oh and don't get me started on that nonsense about losing the rudder and having to maneouvre by rolling only!!!! Eh???
If you look at the GA procedures for LHR then you will see some of them do turn accross the SIDs'- Standard GA procedures seem to have been followed. How can you judge that an aircraft had to turn through 90degress for avoidance from the cabin??
Many things in your story smack of passenger ignorance and jumpimg to conclusions regarding what is actually taking place in the flight deck and what you are actually being told/second guessing.
For instance, how xan you judge 5oo' separation from the cabin? i have been a pilot for 10 years+ and i reckon i couldn't be that accurate...
I would hazard i guess that the aircraft didn't head out over the channel to use up fuel as you say, but merely was vectored clear of the London TMA in order to complete the checklist.
Oh and don't get me started on that nonsense about losing the rudder and having to maneouvre by rolling only!!!! Eh???
Last edited by 3Greens; 14th Jul 2006 at 07:11.
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<<If you look at the GA procedures for LHR then you will see some of them do turn accross the T/off runway>>
That comes as a major surpise to me..... but things change rapidly in aviation! I would just say that the published go-around procs are often changed bt ATC to provide separation.
That comes as a major surpise to me..... but things change rapidly in aviation! I would just say that the published go-around procs are often changed bt ATC to provide separation.
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Whoops meant to say SIDs not the departure runway. Post edited...
i'm sure this is what happened in the original post i.e. a/c inbound on
27L goes around and there is an A/c on a Dover SID from 27R.
i'm sure this is what happened in the original post i.e. a/c inbound on
27L goes around and there is an A/c on a Dover SID from 27R.
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Just to confirm
There was a full emergency declared on the BA943 with " Hydraulic Problems".
Aircraft landed without incident at 19:06 Local and taxied to stand.
Another normal day in the busy world of Heathrow Ops.
There was a full emergency declared on the BA943 with " Hydraulic Problems".
Aircraft landed without incident at 19:06 Local and taxied to stand.
Another normal day in the busy world of Heathrow Ops.