Virgin Atlantic A330 precautionary evacuation at LGW
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What does he expect the crew to say?
"We will begin by evacuating our Gold card holders, followed by families with young Children and then economy customers by seat row, please remain inside the smoke filled cabin until your seat row number has been annonced!"
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My observational comment about several passengers being seen after the evacuation holding personal belongings must not have been judged to be appropriate by someone.
I think it is very important discussion to be had about passenger behaviour when some passengers on the news appear to have been complaining about the tone of the crew!
Mods: I would love to know (by PM if preferred) why my post appeared and then was deleted.
I think it is very important discussion to be had about passenger behaviour when some passengers on the news appear to have been complaining about the tone of the crew!
Mods: I would love to know (by PM if preferred) why my post appeared and then was deleted.
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These things happen and, despite what the pax are saying to the press, it sounds like the cabin crew (and FD crew) did exactly as trained to do in these circumstances.
More worrying to me as an LGW local is the fact that NONE of the injured appeard to be taken to local hospitals. Instead they were taken to Brighton and Tooting in London.
When I did my Avionics apprenticeship with BCal, we were given a presentation by the police and ATC at the time telling us about the emergency plans for LGW. This was when Crawley, East Grinstead and Horsham still had their own A&E departments as well as East Slurrey. Even then patients would need to be transfered to places as far afield as Oxford and Cambridge just based on a percentage of people needing treatment if a full 747 had an incident at LGW. I am guessing Oxford and Cambridge would be some of the more local places with Paris, Brussels and Glasgow taking some in the event of a major incident now.
More worrying to me as an LGW local is the fact that NONE of the injured appeard to be taken to local hospitals. Instead they were taken to Brighton and Tooting in London.
When I did my Avionics apprenticeship with BCal, we were given a presentation by the police and ATC at the time telling us about the emergency plans for LGW. This was when Crawley, East Grinstead and Horsham still had their own A&E departments as well as East Slurrey. Even then patients would need to be transfered to places as far afield as Oxford and Cambridge just based on a percentage of people needing treatment if a full 747 had an incident at LGW. I am guessing Oxford and Cambridge would be some of the more local places with Paris, Brussels and Glasgow taking some in the event of a major incident now.
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More worrying to me as an LGW local is the fact that NONE of the injured appeard to be taken to local hospitals. Instead they were taken to Brighton and Tooting in London.
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15 minor injuries? In general, that means cuts and scratches, or a minor undisplaced fracture (wrist etc.. painful but not anything that cant be fixed in short order in any A&E) From a professional point of view, I'm at the other end of alerts... Majax for hospitals. It will be interesting to see the extent of the injuries.
I'm sure that the cabin crew know perfectly well the inevitability of injury by getting people out of the aircraft by the slides. They do not do it lightly. I do not think for one moment that the flight crew gave the instruction for such an evacuation lightly either.
Sounds like a completely professional handling of the situation. The London hospitals did get the alert as planned, and acted with commendable speed. I'm sorry if some people had their surgery cancelled for today.
I'm sure that the cabin crew know perfectly well the inevitability of injury by getting people out of the aircraft by the slides. They do not do it lightly. I do not think for one moment that the flight crew gave the instruction for such an evacuation lightly either.
Sounds like a completely professional handling of the situation. The London hospitals did get the alert as planned, and acted with commendable speed. I'm sorry if some people had their surgery cancelled for today.
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Well done to the crew 
.
Any experienced aviation professional will know that situations such as these rarely pan out as cleanly as they do in the sim and that as such, actually making the decisions can be far more difficult and doubt-ridden processes than one would expect them to be.
I just hope that with all of the media hype and Ill-informed speculation that inevitably accompanies such an event, the crew-members involved (CC and FD) don't let the opinions of others undermine their own, well deserved, sense of pride at a job well done.
I would also take the opportunity to remind everyone else, in the nicest possible way, that for the crew this is far from over. They will all be re-examining their actions and reliving moments from today's incident for a long time to come. They will also be having to describe and account for their actions and decisions as part of the formal de-briefing process. They may well be having a look at this thread in order to read what is being written about them.
If they are, I say again, good job. Well done.
. Any experienced aviation professional will know that situations such as these rarely pan out as cleanly as they do in the sim and that as such, actually making the decisions can be far more difficult and doubt-ridden processes than one would expect them to be.
I just hope that with all of the media hype and Ill-informed speculation that inevitably accompanies such an event, the crew-members involved (CC and FD) don't let the opinions of others undermine their own, well deserved, sense of pride at a job well done.
I would also take the opportunity to remind everyone else, in the nicest possible way, that for the crew this is far from over. They will all be re-examining their actions and reliving moments from today's incident for a long time to come. They will also be having to describe and account for their actions and decisions as part of the formal de-briefing process. They may well be having a look at this thread in order to read what is being written about them.
If they are, I say again, good job. Well done.
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Beeb quotes:
Is this due to an over weight landing - or was the pilot heavier than normal on the brakes? Wouldn't the airport fire service be better to deal with this with foam jets rather than regular firemen with presumably water (takes ordinary firemen a while to mix the foam in my recollection).
So slightly worse than originally thought. Any thoughts on how to make emergency slides slower / safer while still allowing maximum evacuation speed?
I worked on a passenger fast ferry and had the privilege of going down one of the emergency slides after it was activated as part of annual maintenance / testing. Those slides were much narrower than the A330 and we were trained to tell passengers to manage their speed by using feet on the sides. We also had to have someone at the sea end to sort people out at the bottom (they also have other jobs, like inflating the life rafts...). However on a ship, there is probably a better ratio of crew to passengers so we have the man power to do that. There is also more time available and the system can be more complex as the weight and size of the system is less of an issue.
Ideas for improvement?
A spokeswoman said six fire appliances were called to the scene but actually dealt with a small fire on the undercarriage caused by the emergency landing.
Fifteen people needed hospital treatment after the evacuation, 14 of them for suspected fractures.
I worked on a passenger fast ferry and had the privilege of going down one of the emergency slides after it was activated as part of annual maintenance / testing. Those slides were much narrower than the A330 and we were trained to tell passengers to manage their speed by using feet on the sides. We also had to have someone at the sea end to sort people out at the bottom (they also have other jobs, like inflating the life rafts...). However on a ship, there is probably a better ratio of crew to passengers so we have the man power to do that. There is also more time available and the system can be more complex as the weight and size of the system is less of an issue.
Ideas for improvement?
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This does resemble a little bit of the Qantas A330 evacuation in KIX in 2005. Though pending formal investigation publication.... BUT it was diversion to KIX from multiple cargo smoke indications in the flight deck with no let up despite extinguisher discharge. Swift actions of the flight crew to return & evacuate, professional actions of the cabin crew too! A desirable outcome
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So slightly worse than originally thought. Any thoughts on how to make emergency slides slower / safer while still allowing maximum evacuation speed?
I worked on a passenger fast ferry and had the privilege of going down one of the emergency slides after it was activated as part of annual maintenance / testing. Those slides were much narrower than the A330 and we were trained to tell passengers to manage their speed by using feet on the sides. We also had to have someone at the sea end to sort people out at the bottom (they also have other jobs, like inflating the life rafts...). However on a ship, there is probably a better ratio of crew to passengers so we have the man power to do that. There is also more time available and the system can be more complex as the weight and size of the system is less of an issue.
Ideas for improvement?
I worked on a passenger fast ferry and had the privilege of going down one of the emergency slides after it was activated as part of annual maintenance / testing. Those slides were much narrower than the A330 and we were trained to tell passengers to manage their speed by using feet on the sides. We also had to have someone at the sea end to sort people out at the bottom (they also have other jobs, like inflating the life rafts...). However on a ship, there is probably a better ratio of crew to passengers so we have the man power to do that. There is also more time available and the system can be more complex as the weight and size of the system is less of an issue.
Ideas for improvement?
However, I do think passengers closest to the doors should be told to stay at the bottom of the slides to assist evacuating passengers and prevent pile-ups. (Feel free to correct me if this is already part of procedure)
Anyways, the aircraft's on the ground and nobody died. In my eyes that's a job well done and pints all round.
Ideas for improvement?
However, whatever the rights and wrongs (which will come out during the investigation) if, as is reported, between 5 and 14 people have suffered broken limbs as a result of an incident which has apparently not resulted in any serious damage to the aircraft and such an evacuation is "standard operating procedure", then I think questions will certainly be asked about "room for improvement"
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I bet Richard wishes he had a few more planes like this.
According to Daily Mail plane was mid Atlantic when emergency was called.
It landed within 30 mins of take off.
I doubt if it had actually left British airspace in that time.
Yet more sloppy journalism
According to Daily Mail plane was mid Atlantic when emergency was called.
It landed within 30 mins of take off.
I doubt if it had actually left British airspace in that time.
Yet more sloppy journalism
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My post from last night was deleted due to my over-exhuberant use of Anglo-Saxon so I'll try again.......
I watched the report on ITV news last night and was truly stunned to see passengers complaining about 'cabin crew shouting for us to get out' and 'the escape slides were almost vertical, they hadn't deployed properly' as well as 'my knees/elbows are all grazed'. The pilot landed a (possibly overweight) aircraft safely, the cabin crew ensured you got off quicky and safely and you complain about the odd graze? These people are nothing more than publicity-seeking idiots who are pandering to the media's desire for a sensationalist angle on an otherwise uneventful story. Shame on you.
I watched the report on ITV news last night and was truly stunned to see passengers complaining about 'cabin crew shouting for us to get out' and 'the escape slides were almost vertical, they hadn't deployed properly' as well as 'my knees/elbows are all grazed'. The pilot landed a (possibly overweight) aircraft safely, the cabin crew ensured you got off quicky and safely and you complain about the odd graze? These people are nothing more than publicity-seeking idiots who are pandering to the media's desire for a sensationalist angle on an otherwise uneventful story. Shame on you.
Incident well handled by the Crew, good for you. Unfortunate there were a number of minor injuries, ankles etc. However the total Idiot on BBC TV who was making a song & dance about the Cabin Crew screeming at the pax, needs to understand, this is exactly what the Cabin Crew are supposed to do in such a situation.
Well done again to all concerned.
Well done again to all concerned.
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Waspernator
At 20000 feet 25 miles or so from Bournemouth is a bit steep... Flying back to a field you know by heart or to one you don't know and might have to brief 5 mins for that little difference in distance is a no brainer. Pilot flying is probably alone, while the other is managing the failure, atc, cabin.....
So your comment seems cheap...
So your comment seems cheap...
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Kaikohe
It's time that journalists become responsible for the nonsense they sell... And stop hiding behind freedom of speech which has been yanked out of context by themselves
Smoke in the sim is already stressy enough... Imagine in real life....
Smoke in the sim is already stressy enough... Imagine in real life....