Virgin Atlantic A330 precautionary evacuation at LGW
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Memo to the BBC reporter at LGW today - actually the main thing is not that the airport is back up and running normally, but that a professional crew got the a/c back down on the black stuff quickly and efficiently and that there were no serious injuries !
Also, why is everyone so surprised that fire engines were following the a/c as soon as it was down, would that not be standard procedure and logical?
Also, why is everyone so surprised that fire engines were following the a/c as soon as it was down, would that not be standard procedure and logical?
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Passenger being interviewed on BBC Radio Five suggested that panic was induced by a member of the cabin crew screaming at passengers causing a 'pile-up' with resulting injuries as they fell onto each other at the bottom of a slide.
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Just how much of this stuff is being made up? I listened to another passenger being interviewed on 5 live coming home from work around 14.30 and when they asked him about smoke in the cabin he said he didn't really see much but then he was sitting towards the back, said there was 'bit' of pushing and shoving but no panic that he was aware of, and he praised the crew for keeping everyone calm by not mentioning the word 'emergency' until they were telling the pax to evacuate when it was on the ground and stationary. Maybe the good old beeb dumped him for telling the truth?
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Ridiculous speculation is coming from some on here. Until you, and us, know the facts perhaps you would care to stop feeding the journos. Then maybe they won't print the rubbish that has already surfaced.
Originally Posted by KTF
Out of interest why do the VS 330-300 not have the facility to dump fuel? Is this for all A330 or just the VS ones?
“JAR/FAR 25.1001
A fuel jettisoning system must be installed on each aeroplane unless it is shown that the aeroplane meets the climb requirements of Approach Climb gradient and Landing Climb gradient at maximum take-off weight, less the actual or computed weight of fuel necessary for a 15-minute flight comprised of a take-off, go-around, and landing at the airport of departure with the aeroplane configuration, speed, power, and thrust the same as that used in meeting the applicable take-off, approach, and landing climb performance requirements of this JAR-25.”
Originally Posted by Modburyboy
As a matter of interest, in an emergency evac, woul a crew member not go down the slide first in order to get evacuating pax off the bottom of the slide ASAP?
<Open Door>, shout "Follow me to safety!", jump down slide and leg it! ... on a serious note, when there is time, there is a procedure to get a couple of able-bodied passengers to stand at the bottom of the slide to clear it of log jams.
Originally Posted by dazdaz1
May I ask a question (slight drift, taking advantage of pilots on this thread) reading some past posts I understand that the slides double as a rafts for water emergency landings.
Would the number of slides/rafts (thinking Titanic, freezing waters) be sufficient for a full a/c pax and crew to be accommodated on them?
Would the number of slides/rafts (thinking Titanic, freezing waters) be sufficient for a full a/c pax and crew to be accommodated on them?
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Ridiculous speculation is coming from some on here. Until you, and us, know the facts perhaps you would care to stop feeding the journos. Then maybe they won't print the rubbish that has already surfaced.
The poseurs want to be listened to. This community knows enough to spot BS, so we don't listen. The press, on the other hand, doesn't care if it's BS as long as it sells papers. The poseurs talk, the press listens, everyone is satisfied and the facts become irrelevant.
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Airsound - thanks for the timing clarification. I must confess to having wondered about the time taken to divert back to LGW from somewhere along the south coast when there are other airports available, albeit with varying runway lengths, which is clearly going to be an issue, rather than landing asap. The previous post about the issues getting down from FL nosebleed and the (in)ability to dump fuel also explained it very nicely, so thank you.
Before anyone decides to ask about my own experience, I've got over 2000 hrs flying military support helicopters and I've had smoke in the cabin on three occasions. We're normally slightly better off than the FW community in that we have the option to put the cab down a bit quicker wherever we are if we need to, although that wasn't an option in South Armagh or Helmand, where I did continue back to Bessbrook or Bastion first!
I just wish that civvies (SLF) would realise that leadership in a high-stress, dynamic situation does occasionally require the use of a raised voice!!
Well done to the crew for getting everyone back safely...they can even use the jet again - result!
Before anyone decides to ask about my own experience, I've got over 2000 hrs flying military support helicopters and I've had smoke in the cabin on three occasions. We're normally slightly better off than the FW community in that we have the option to put the cab down a bit quicker wherever we are if we need to, although that wasn't an option in South Armagh or Helmand, where I did continue back to Bessbrook or Bastion first!
I just wish that civvies (SLF) would realise that leadership in a high-stress, dynamic situation does occasionally require the use of a raised voice!!
Well done to the crew for getting everyone back safely...they can even use the jet again - result!
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Now im sorry but im cabin crew myself, and our policy with regards to evacuating the aircraft is to evacuate the aircraft ASAP after we've heard the evacuation command. We dont care about whether there is a pile of passengers at the bottom of the slide, people need to get off quickly. As we all know an evacuation of an aircraft should be made within 90 seconds of that evacuation call, and whats with the guy on the BBC website interview saying the crew were screaming to get people off... they aint gonna be asking people nicely are they??!!!! They did a bloody good job i say to evacuate that big bird as they did with only 4 slight injuries. Good job to all involved.
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Listening to the radio this afternoon, 5Live, I felt genuinely sorry for the Virgin spokesman having to deal with the questioning of the presenter, I think gave his name as "Andrew Verity". The hectoring and ill informed speculation that this so called "presenter" spouted had to be heard to believed. Quoting one of the Passenger's who thought something was wrong as soon as the Aircraft became airborne, claiming it was all "wobbly" this excuse of a presenter, then asked the
spokesman, should the aircraft, have taken off if that was the case!!
Unbelievable!!!
spokesman, should the aircraft, have taken off if that was the case!!
Unbelievable!!!
Recent study suggests that on the Titanic "Women and Children First" was strongly enforced by crew and captain with firearms. Otherwise history shows that an every man for himself situation on shipboard means the women and kids don't make it.
Therefore one needs very very firm discipline to insist on an orderly evacuation. Sounds like this was a textbook case.
Therefore one needs very very firm discipline to insist on an orderly evacuation. Sounds like this was a textbook case.
Short of using fire arms to enforce your theory, it's every person for themselves
live with it, those who get to the door first should exit first
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May I ask a question (slight drift, taking advantage of pilots on this thread) reading some past posts I understand that the slides double as a rafts for water emergency landings.
Would the number of slides/rafts (thinking Titanic, freezing waters) be sufficient for a full a/c pax and crew to be accommodated on them?
Daz
Would the number of slides/rafts (thinking Titanic, freezing waters) be sufficient for a full a/c pax and crew to be accommodated on them?
Daz
The certification requirements are that passengers can evac in a given time (90 seconds rings a bell) using only half the slides(i.e on the assumption that one side of the aircraft is completley unuseable - unusual attitude, fire etc)
I also believe that the raft / floation passenger capacity requirement assumes the complete loss of one raft? but i'm not 100% on that one.
Wot lomapaseo says - first come first out.
Loved this:
Good report - sounds like she was doing her job as trained
Loved this:
Tom Alridge said one of the cabin crew panicked upon landing.
"She was screaming like a banshee - 'Get off, get off' - she was literally pushing people down the chute," he said.
"She was screaming like a banshee - 'Get off, get off' - she was literally pushing people down the chute," he said.
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Did the people who complained about being shouted at by cabin staff also comment that the same cabin staff were putting the safety of the passengers before their own in what could have been a very dangerous situation.
One assumes that, unlike recent maritime history, the captain did not exit in the first batch.
One assumes that, unlike recent maritime history, the captain did not exit in the first batch.
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Respect
I appreciate that I am a first time poster but have always had an interest in aviation and have followed the various forums for a while now.
I have no experience in working in the industry but have now retired from the Police after 30 interesting years.
I only post to give some encouragement to those crew involved in today's incident.
Two points.
1. I have been in situations when I and others have had to move a lot of people on very quickly to keep them safe. There is always confusion and it is imperative to speak or realistically shout loudly and decisively without any cause for misunderstanding. This would appear to be the case here and left no doubt as to what was required.
This leads me onto point 2 which is that a news spin story sells more copy than the hard facts. I too have been involved in incidents which have later been reported so vastly different to the facts.
There isn't much you can do about except to accept accept the praise of your peers and colleagues, who are after all the best judges.
Anyway just to let you know that there are still some of us out there who would rather read facts and not hype!
As you can see I am in no way an aviation expert but would lime to say well done to all involved in avoiding a disaster and saving lives.
I have no experience in working in the industry but have now retired from the Police after 30 interesting years.
I only post to give some encouragement to those crew involved in today's incident.
Two points.
1. I have been in situations when I and others have had to move a lot of people on very quickly to keep them safe. There is always confusion and it is imperative to speak or realistically shout loudly and decisively without any cause for misunderstanding. This would appear to be the case here and left no doubt as to what was required.
This leads me onto point 2 which is that a news spin story sells more copy than the hard facts. I too have been involved in incidents which have later been reported so vastly different to the facts.
There isn't much you can do about except to accept accept the praise of your peers and colleagues, who are after all the best judges.
Anyway just to let you know that there are still some of us out there who would rather read facts and not hype!
As you can see I am in no way an aviation expert but would lime to say well done to all involved in avoiding a disaster and saving lives.
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This quote is from the BBC News report
I would not expect anything less. That's how to get people off as quickly as possible. Well done Cabin Crew.
Tom Alridge said one of the cabin crew panicked upon landing.
"She was screaming like a banshee - 'Get off, get off' - she was literally pushing people down the chute," he said.
"She was screaming like a banshee - 'Get off, get off' - she was literally pushing people down the chute," he said.
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15 people taken to hospital after this incident, according to the local ambulance service. Largely minor injuries but still not an insignificant number.
PS hospital figures are fact, unlike pretty much everything else on this thread
PS hospital figures are fact, unlike pretty much everything else on this thread
The AvHerald is reporting that the fire service found no trace of smoke or fire,but was this aircraft de-iced this morning?It was certainly cold enough overnight to require a treatment.