20 Injured In Plane Evacuation At Don Muang

[george]

20 injured in evacuation of Tokyo-bound plane at Bangkok

United Airlines plane evacuated

BANGKOK: -- A United Airlines flight preparing to take off from Bangkok's international airport stopped on the runway because of engine trouble today and evacuated hundreds of passengers, leaving about 20 people with minor injuries, an official said.

The flight destined for Tokyo, Japan, was scheduled to take off from Bangkok at 7:40 a.m. before the captain reported unspecified engine problems and ordered the plane's 348 passengers and 17 crew members to evacuate, an airport official said.

The passengers and crew followed emergency procedures and slid down rubber chutes to the tarmac, leaving about 20 people with minor injuries, the control tower official said at Bangkok International Airport on the outskirts of the Thai capital.

He did not elaborate.

A United Airlines representative would not comment on the incident.

Further details were not immediately available.

--Agencies 2004-07-02

[Noodles]

they must have thought it serious to use the rubber chutes.

[MarcoH]

20 injured in evacuation of Tokyo-bound plane at Bangkok

United Airlines plane evacuated

BANGKOK: -- A United Airlines flight preparing to take off from Bangkok's international airport stopped on the runway because of engine trouble today and evacuated hundreds of passengers, leaving about 20 people with minor injuries, an official said.

The flight destined for Tokyo, Japan, was scheduled to take off from Bangkok at 7:40 a.m. before the captain reported unspecified engine problems and ordered the plane's 348 passengers and 17 crew members to evacuate, an airport official said.

The passengers and crew followed emergency procedures and slid down rubber chutes to the tarmac, leaving about 20 people with minor injuries, the control tower official said at Bangkok International Airport on the outskirts of the Thai capital.

He did not elaborate.

A United Airlines representative would not comment on the incident.

Further details were not immediately available.

--Agencies 2004-07-02

WOW, I was supose to be in that plane, but change my flight for this becoming weekend....

-Marco-

[dunkinto_farang]

I'm suprised too. That's the same exact flight I take every time I leave BKK for the states. I guess that this could happen to all of us.

[Crash999]

Twas a bird, apparently...

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0...55E1702,00.html

United Airlines plane evacuated

From correspondents in Bangkok

August 2, 2004

A UNITED Airlines jet aborted takeoff at Bangkok International Airport early today after a bird got caught in one of its engines, and four passengers suffered minor injuries as they evacuated the plane, the company said.

Flight UA838 headed for Tokyo also "experienced a tyre blow-out" during the aborted takeoff, United Airlines said in a statement. It wasn't clear what caused the tyre to burst.

"The takeoff was aborted due to a bird ingested into one of the engines," the company said. "For the safety of passengers and crew members, the pilot activated an immediate evacuation."

The Boeing 747's two pilots, 15 crew members and 346 passengers slid down evacuation chutes onto the tarmac, the statement said.

Four passengers who suffered minor injuries during the evacuation were treated by a medical team at the airport and two of them were later hospitalised, the statement said.

[bkkbound04]

maybe i'm looking in2 this too much....

do u think united airlines have been threatened/warned of a terrorist attack and are keeping hush about it??

didn't a united airlines aircraft turn around after leaving sydney the other day??

i heard the sydney headline as it happened, i don't know what the actual fault/problem with the plane was, there was speculation of an attempt to enter the cockpit

....or just coincidence?

edit* just read previous post

[britmaveric]

Quite normal according to one of my mates who is a pilot for UAL. Normally if they abort takeoff they run through the rubber chute deployment especially if they think their is a possibilityof a fire.

Sydney turn around was a threatening note found in the loo- most likely a crew member or passanger.

[Johpa]

Quite normal according to one of my mates who is a pilot for UAL. Normally if they abort takeoff they run through the rubber chute deployment especially if they think their is a possibilityof a fire.

That flight, and the Northwest flight are two of the three primary direct flights to the US each day from Don Muang. It is perhaps standard procedure to deploy the chutes if a take-off is aborted but it not a normal occurence and is relatively rare. I assume it occured early in the take-off procedure as a fully loaded jumbo is not something you want to try to stop suddenly and there is a point at which the pilot must try to take-off regardless of circumstances.

[BillyZ]

Jeeezzzz, this is the same flight I'm about to book for next month! Well, hopefully this is out of UAL's system and it won't happen on the 16th...

[meadish_sweetball]

Well, at least it wasn't a golf ball...

Seriously, don't worry so much about it. Just like other vehicles, aeroplanes sometimes have engine difficulties - it is EXTREMELY unlikely that the same thing will happen to a United Airlines flight again any time soon, or to any other airline for that matter.

These things always reach the media, and considering how many planes take off every hour all around the world (if all the aircraft currently in the air at any given point in time needed to land at the next opportunity, there would not be enough runway space, that is how many planes are in the air), isn't it amazing how SELDOM major difficulties occur?

[pnustedt]

Can u just imagine one of those UA hostesses landing on you

[sbk]

Can u just imagine one of those UA hostesses landing on you

I took that flight last month and most of my hostesses were "hosts" First time I have ever been on a flight where the majority of cabin crew were male. Kinda nice actually

[capt_canada42]

yes life is full of peril I fell over a pillow in my living room and now my arm dosn't work very well! I wonder should we ban going into living rooms or maybe pillows. God maybe we should pass some more laws again

[The Gentleman Scamp]

they must have thought it serious to use the rubber chutes.

Not really, it would be a lot of hassle to turn the plane around, then around again and re-align itself with the gate - which would no longer be available as it would be waiting for it's next aircraft.

Many passengers, well probably most would have been very shaken by the whole incident and therefore would need to get out of the environment a.s.a.p.

[britmaveric]

Let me add- you are talking a fully fueled jet another consideration to the emergency evac procedures- need to get out of dodge quickly if there is a possibility of a fire.

[penzman]

Jeeezzzz, this is the same flight I'm about to book for next month! Well, hopefully this is out of UAL's system and it won't happen on the 16th...

Stay here and live longer!

[waldwolf]

With 365 passengers/crew, cargo and fuel, a standard B747 would probably be close to maximum takeoff weight for the 6hr 30min non-stop flight to Tokyo.

When a takeoff is aborted well into the "roll", it is not uncommon to blow a couple of tyres. (The aircraft has 18+ tyres.) Emergency stops during takeoff generate tremendous heat in the 'brake/tyre/landing gear' area, which may cause one or more tyres to catch fire. Thus the caution in deploying evacuation chutes.

Most passengers are not aware all aircraft have both maximum takeoff and maximum landing weights. The allowable takeoff weight often exceeds the allowable landing weight, therefore, should an aircraft have an inflight emergency (such as engine loss) immediately after takeoff, it may become necessary for the flight crew to "dump" fuel in order to bring the total aircraft weight below the maximum landing weight specification.

Fortunately, in this case, there were few injuries and no deaths.

[george]

Update:

United jet evacuated in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A United Airlines jet aborted takeoff at Bangkok International Airport early Monday after a bird got caught in one of its engines, and four passengers suffered minor injuries as they evacuated the plane, the company said.

Flight UA838 headed for Tokyo also "experienced a tire blow out" during the aborted takeoff, United Airlines said in a statement. It wasn't clear what caused the tire to burst.

The takeoff was aborted due to a bird ingested into one of the engines," the company said. "For the safety of passengers and crew members, the pilot activated an immediate evacuation."

The Boeing 747's two pilots, 15 crew members and 346 passengers slid down evacuation chutes onto the tarmac, the statement said.

Four passengers who suffered minor injuries during the evacuation were treated by a medical team at the airport and two of them were later hospitalized, the statement said. A control tower official earlier said that 20 people had been injured.

The passengers will be put up at a local hotel and flown to Tokyo on another plane Tuesday morning, the company said.

--AP 2004-08-03

[Viper]

Well, at least it wasn't a golf ball...

Seriously, don't worry so much about it. Just like other vehicles, aeroplanes sometimes have engine difficulties - it is EXTREMELY unlikely that the same thing will happen to a United Airlines flight again any time soon, or to any other airline for that matter.

These things always reach the media, and considering how many planes take off every hour all around the world (if all the aircraft currently in the air at any given point in time needed to land at the next opportunity, there would not be enough runway space, that is how many planes are in the air), isn't it amazing how SELDOM major difficulties occur?

Good point about the golf ball mate - I concider that quite a serious point to be honest i mean Jesus! a golf course on an international airport. I could not believe my eyes when i first saw it.

I use to be an aironautical engineer and disagree with you verdict that it's unlikely to happen again. If there is a mechanical defect all the parts are maintained at sheduled times and only replaced at the end of its servicable time. Each part of an aircraft has a scheduled service time, and should be replaced before that time has lapsed. A faulty fitted part could be fitted to anyone of the airlines fleat. You catch the drift?

And for thou's of you flying to whatever destination on that particular airline then i wish you GOOD LUCK! - Hehe - Naaaa Just kidding. But seriously dont forget your parachutes and dont take anything valuable, and dont forget to write your will, and dont forget........lol

[ka12345]

Seriously, don't worry so much about it. Just like other vehicles, aeroplanes sometimes have engine difficulties - it is EXTREMELY unlikely that the same thing will happen to a United Airlines flight again any time soon, or to any other airline for that matter.

At least if they are not serviced by the same mechanics that serviced the plane that shortly after service became Swissair flight #111.

I wonder where it was last serviced...

[Ricardo]

Twas a bird, apparently...

"The takeoff was aborted due to a bird ingested into one of the engines," the company said. "For the safety of passengers and crew members, the pilot activated an immediate evacuation."

Probably a chicken , trying to escape the latest rumoured outbreak of bird-flu , is my guess

So the next United flight probably served BBQ-chicken ?

[Mr_Pedantic]

Stay here and live longer!

Unless you live in Pattaya.

The mortuary now have scheduled trips to the airport called the 'death run', for all the expired foreigners who wished to be returned to their homeland.

[pistonpilot]

A bird ingested at takeoff isn't a total emergency, worse would be if it were ingested while the plane was at top speed. However, birds do significant damage like a bomb in the engine so I can see why the pilot evacuated the airplane.

The PIC or Pilot in Command is in command and he decides on what is safe or not. No one else.

Can't second guess the pilot.

[DaveYo]

Only thing I can say Tsk Tsk for the birdie!!!!!!!! At least the death was quick as it comes.

That engine has to be taken off completely for a touche exam. They will replace it with another one from the bone yard.

Daveyo