Fire Cover?
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: UK
Fire Cover?
Having read the thread about the A319 at Heathrow this morning (24/5) I was surprised to see the suggestion that the reason why both runways were closed was that the deployment of emergency assests to the incident left insufficient cover to maintain ops on a single runway.
I accept that someone has done a risk assesment and decided this is acceptable but, as a passenger, I feel this results in 2 issues. First it means that passengers are inconvenienced and second that if the closure results in a prolonged closure (I've seen 30 minutes mentioned re today) won't that result in aircraft in the hold having to divert which simply increases the workload in the air.
Thinking about it, I suppose part of the problem is that even if you keep the airport running on one runway you may have aircraft waiting for a departure slot blocking stands and, until the issue is resolved, there's probably a sterile area around the affected aircraft which halts use of surrounding taxiways.
Maybe I'm getting somewhere towards answering my own questions but I'd like to hear from professionals.
I accept that someone has done a risk assesment and decided this is acceptable but, as a passenger, I feel this results in 2 issues. First it means that passengers are inconvenienced and second that if the closure results in a prolonged closure (I've seen 30 minutes mentioned re today) won't that result in aircraft in the hold having to divert which simply increases the workload in the air.
Thinking about it, I suppose part of the problem is that even if you keep the airport running on one runway you may have aircraft waiting for a departure slot blocking stands and, until the issue is resolved, there's probably a sterile area around the affected aircraft which halts use of surrounding taxiways.
Maybe I'm getting somewhere towards answering my own questions but I'd like to hear from professionals.
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Reading, UK
Maybe I'm getting somewhere towards answering my own questions
First it means that passengers are inconvenienced
if the closure results in a prolonged closure (I've seen 30 minutes mentioned re today) won't that result in aircraft in the hold having to divert which simply increases the workload in the air
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 482
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From: Luton
I may be wrong, but didn't Healthrow in the past have enought fire crews to allow single runway operations to continue with the required fire cover even if there was an incident on the other one.
It will still result in delays but at least everything does not grind to a halt.
It will still result in delays but at least everything does not grind to a halt.
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Kammbronn
Having read the thread about the A319 at Heathrow this morning (24/5) I was surprised to see the suggestion that the reason why both runways were closed was that the deployment of emergency assests to the incident left insufficient cover to maintain ops on a single runway.
Last edited by diginagain; 26th May 2013 at 02:19.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,235
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From: UK
The point of the question was to allow me to learn from the professionals.
One thing I hadn't identified was the need to sweep 27L. Except, between the time the stricken aircraft took off and it declared an emergency how many planes had already departed 27L?
One thing I hadn't identified was the need to sweep 27L. Except, between the time the stricken aircraft took off and it declared an emergency how many planes had already departed 27L?
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,432
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From: LHR/EGLL
Hartington,
The professionals who witnessed this will wait for the official report to be published.
There are more considerations than just the available category of fire cover.
Nobody involved in these situations wants to cause delay, but the prime, and only, consideration will be to do what is safe.
Although I wasn't working at the time of this incident, I was in the tower when BAW38 came down.
The professionals who witnessed this will wait for the official report to be published.
There are more considerations than just the available category of fire cover.
Nobody involved in these situations wants to cause delay, but the prime, and only, consideration will be to do what is safe.
Although I wasn't working at the time of this incident, I was in the tower when BAW38 came down.
Last edited by Gonzo; 26th May 2013 at 10:20.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 17,738
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From: Reading, UK
between the time the stricken aircraft took off and it declared an emergency how many planes had already departed 27L?
There was only one departure in the hour after BAW762 took off at 08:17, and that was from 27R at 08:38 (BAW165 to TLV). The first 27L departure after that was BAW758 to Bergen at 09:23.
You can see them on WebTrak although, as a previous poster has mentioned, for some peculiar reason all Friday's flight have been anonymised.
