A380 Hits Airport Building During Test Fly

[globe]

I was going to post a reply from a pilot's point of view, but after reading some of the moronic answers here, I think I better not.

[mackayae]

The bad news is that the the most most modern and advanced plane hit a building and damaged one of its winglets, the good news is that it happened in the land of Elephant Glue.

Edited September 1, 2007 by mackayae

[mackayae]

Mai bpen rai! You have insurance for the first year.

[Maestro]

From AP:-

Officials said the accident at Suvarnabhumi Airport was related to the unusually long wingspan of the plane, for which the hanger whose door it hit had not been designed. "It was not due to problems with traffic control or human error of the captain," said Thai Airways President Apinan Sumanaseni.

Here I am, six hours later, still trying to figure out what the design of the hangar had to do with it. They were not trying to put the A380 into a hangar too small for it, were they?

--

Maestro

[mitrapaap]

A380 wing hits building while taxiing

(BangkokPost.com) - A tip of an Airbus A380's wing scraped a repair building of the Suvarnabhumi Airport during its test fly on Saturday morning.

Airbus let Thai Airways International (THAI) use the world's largest passenger plane in the trial flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

The plane - which arrived in Thailand on Friday as part of an Asian tour to promote sales - carried 150 VIP guests, businessmen and reporters. Its tip hit the building when it was on the taxiway, officials said.

There were no reports of injuries.....

The pilots were not blamed for the damage. Mr Apinan said the accident occurred because the jet is so large, needing more space on the taxiway......

In other words, fault does not lie with the employees of Thai Airways. Instead, it lies with the "taxiway" and the sheer size of the plane. Inasmuch as the building struck was probably erected during Taksin's prime-ministerial tenure, I'm surprised he didn't get blamed for the accident. True responsibility should lie with whoever is ultimately in charge of the Thai airports, as well as that individual's boss. But I forgot both their names.

A little incident at Suvarnabhumi - what a great food for all the commentators as usual. Just one question, where did you read that Airbus let Thai Airways use the plane? Where did it say that it was a TG pilot?

If he follows the lines on the floor he did nothing wrong. If the lines were drawn on the floor before this kind of jet came, then what's wrong about that?

[mitrapaap]

I was going to post a reply from a pilot's point of view, but after reading some of the moronic answers here, I think I better not.

It would probably have been the only interesting post, but unfortunately the majority in this forum on this kind of topics are not interested in facts or intelligence but only in stupid comments.

[pete_r]

Again, that plane has no business in Thailand at this time. BKK has enough to worry about without adding unnecessary risk.

A few months ago Thai Airways was trying to get some discount on their 6 A380s due to the delays in delivery. Maybe today's visit at BKK was a PR operation from Airbus to try to soften Thai Airways negotiators.

[macduff]

An update on hanger. The building was purposely made over sized to accommodate toxins millions for dispersal to England. He forgot to tell the linesman

[Rinrada]

O for a tin of yellow paint...

uppose now its only a matter of time before that wee guy on the corner of Suk Soi 9 will be selling fake wingtips for Airbuses A380s...

[JimsKnight]

Way too overhyped! Plane Hits Building!? Plane scrapes building more like!

TV media machine on overdrive... AGAIN!

Edited September 1, 2007 by JimsKnight

[JetsetBkk]

I was going to post a reply from a pilot's point of view, but after reading some of the moronic answers here, I think I better not.

I, for one, am thankful. This is no place for sensible posts - let the joking continue!

[if you want to make a sensible post, try the PPRuNe forum (Google it).]

[JetsetBkk]

So what happened to the bus?

[macduff]

IT maybe a good idea to put cameras on the wing tips for forward and reverse movements. And also proximity sensors. This could happen again at some point, you never know.

[TBWG]

for which the hanger whose door it hit had not been designed.

just a couple of posts ago we were told that the new airport was designed with this beast in mind ...............................

Precisely

Regards

PS expect elements of the US media to run this ad-nauseam

Boeing doesn't need to trash Airbus to score business. It's miles ahead.

Hi

Hardly miles ahead..............Boeing last month nosed back ahead of Airbus in the 2007 orders race. At the end of July, Boeing had 698 gross orders for the year to Airbus' 688. Boeing has since added 10 more, bringing its gross-order tally to 708.

The European plane-maker had grabbed the lead from Boeing in June with a massive sales haul at the Paris Air Show. But Boeing is back on top again after booking 149 orders in July compared with just eight for Airbus, according to figures released Thursday.

Boeing's net order total, after accounting for 10 cancellations, is 698. Airbus does not provide a net order total.

Boeing is also maintaining its recent advantage in lucrative widebody sales. Nine of Boeing's 10 new orders in the past week were for its expensive 777 widebody aircraft.

........................Bearing in mind Airbus have only been in existence for 30 odd years thats not a bad total to win from Boeing who have been in existence since pre WW2.

Give them another 30 years and Boeing might join Lockheed and McDD.

TBWG

[Rinrada]

And from BIG BLUE...... just around the corner.......

Boeing to take on Airbus with (1000 seat) giant 797 Blended Wing plane....

Boeing is preparing a 1000 passenger jet that could reshape the Air travel industry for the next 100 years.

The radical Blended Wing design has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center.

The mammoth plane will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to the 747’s 211 feet, and is designed to fit within the newly created terminals used for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide. The new 797 is in direct response to the Airbus A380 which has racked up159 orders, but has not yet flown any passengers.

....Boeing decide to kill its 747X stretched super jumbo in 2003 after little interest was shown by airline companies, but has continued to develop the ultimate Airbus crusher 797 for years at its Phantom Works research facility in Long Beach, Calif.

The Airbus A380 has been in the works since 1999 and has accumulated $13 billion in development costs, which gives Boeing a huge advantage now that Airbus has committed to the older style tubular aircraft for decades to come.

....There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus’s $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, it reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph cruising speed (another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380’s 570 mph)

....The exact date for introduction is unclear, yet the battle lines are clearly drawn in the high-stakes war for civilian air supremacy.

[globe]

When a huge ocean liner enters New York harbor it is boarded by a "pilot". Actually a misnomer, (the Germans all this guy a "Lotse" a guide who is supposed to know the harbor and its constantly changing depths during high and low tides) The Captain of the vessel will hand over command to the pilot during this maneuver.

Just wondering, as a pilot myself,

who is in charge when an aircraft is driven on the ground or flown, the pilot in command or who else?!

This is of course the responsibility of the cockpit crew, captain or first officer,

When taxiing, the Pilot of an aircraft is required to keep the nose wheel of his aircraft on the line panted onto the tarmac to assure clearances from obstructions. As I said before, the crew can NOT see the wingtips of their large aircraft from the cockpit, relying solely on the taxi line. It is up to airport management to assure clearance for any and all aircraft directed to the parking area, jet way, steps, whatever.

Wait a moment, I just re-read the first post:

A wingtip of a latest technology Airbus 380 aircraft currently being tested by Thai Airways International (THAI) Saturday morning hit a hangar entrance door at the Suvarnabhumi airport maintenance centre as the plane was about to take off for Chiang Mai, causing a delay.

It was during "push back" when the airplane was under tow!!!!

So why all these stupid commends:

Or were they Nasa pilots?

Maybe the pilot was inexperienced and was just winging it

Because of the sheer size of the plane, why didn't they think of fixing side mirrors and reverse gear in the first place.

I am wondering what kind of a pilot that is, who's not taking responsebility for his actions and how to fix a damage like this in an hour, it takes hours to oversee the whole damage like this, it is for sure not like a small wound what you would fix with a pflaster.

I had a bird strike once on a 727, just about 6 feet from the wing root. Maintenance decided after placing a peace of aluminum over the "wound" and taping it with lots of duct tape. They (maintenance) decided the aircraft was air-worthy for the flight and then to the next repair facility, which was fine with me. Just sign here and get me off the hook.

Any realiable pilot would refuse to continue this flight shortly after a damage of his wingtip, just my two cents. (Two Baht maybe)

I don't know what kind of pilot your are, but you definitely never flew for a living, let alone an airline. Pilots are not suicidal, they all have families to come home to and will not put their own lives in jeopardy. (###### the passengers, if I live they will live as well)

Suvarnabhumi. The hub of Asia air travel.....and now accidents

To quote the FAA. It was an "incident", not an accident. If your wife/girlfriend cracks the mirror on your car, backing out of the garage, would you classify this as an "accident"?

At least we know for sure that the pilots are not women!

They usually cannot get IN to parking spaces without hitting something!

IT maybe a good idea to put cameras on the wing tips for forward and reverse movements. And also proximity sensors. This could happen again at some point, you never know.

Didn't you read any of this before making such a ridiculous comment?

Chock dee.

[chevykanteve]

True responsibility should lie with whoever is ultimately in charge of the Thai airports, as well as that individual's boss.

What is the reason that people use the word ''individual'' now, instead of such simple words as ''man'', ''woman'' or ''person''? Do they ever think what the word means: ''something that can not be divided''. Why call a person ''something that can not be divided''?

I'm sure one would find that the word INANE also has multiple meanings if one (oops, I'm sorry, a person) were to take the time to research fully its semantic origins. Was Louis XIVth an "individual"? Was he not in fact "divided"?

[britmaveric]

[JetsetBkk]

When a huge ocean liner enters New York harbor it is boarded by a "pilot" blah, blah ,blah

I was going to post a reply from a pilot's point of view, but after reading some of the moronic answers here, I think I better not.

You just couldn't help yourself, could you?

[globe]

Yes, I couldn't help myself, especially reading this on the German On-line magazine "Der Spiegel".

A380 rammt Hangar - Promo- Tour mit VIPs verspätet

Even experienced pilots will have to get used to the colossal dimensions of the Airbus A380 .

During a promotional flight in Thailand, one of their products rammed a wing into a hangar. Hundreds of VIPs had to wait hours until the damage was repaired.

Always the pilot's fault.

What bull-shit. And you people still believe what you read??

[Dave3]

"Exactly what do the French think they will accomplish flying the whale around Thailand? Not like Chang Mai is going to order a few for the high season. Exactly what do the French think they will accomplish flying the whale around Thailand? Not like Chang Mai is going to order a few for the high season. Its a study in hubris by all involved from AOT to Airbus." (xbusman)

Bang on! {WHAT do the French think- a study in hubris!} pretty well covers everything about the a380... aka over-weight grandson of Concorde!!

Still, I'm glad they overlooked or ignored a few SMALL problems like, say, airports! There is one great feature of the a380: it will make flying much safer for the 99% of us on 747s because every aspiring terrorist will now be attracted by the bigger target!!!

[Cobalt60]

I am not sure, but I think I can detect a sense of humour failure or a complete lack of one from some posters

I had some real laughs at some of the comments, irony, sarcasm, humour it is all there, not often a good laugh on here, but wait its not too long before the miserable gits come along and bring it down.

Why not start an "I know what I am talking about and listen to me I am serious" thread about it if this one is not to your liking ?

Laugh a little it dont hurt

[cdnvic]

So much rubbish floating around this topic.

First of all, Lockheed-Martin is one of the largest aerospace firms in the world so many companies can do far worse than to go the way of Lockheed.

Secondly, EADS/Airbus is not a French company, it's a German, French, British, and Spanish company.

Thirdly, anyone thinking that they are safer because the terrorists will all go after the A380 instead of the 747 seems to forget that the most lethal act of terrorism ever involving aircraft were made with smaller 767s and 757s. Also, the A380s are all new but does the poster know how to tell a new 747 from a 30yr old one with a new paint job, or find out before booking the flight if their aircraft is a third world cast-off that's been fixed up?

Doubt it.

[Dave3]

"Boeing's net orders, after... 10 cancellations, is 698.

Airbus does not provide a net order total." TBWG

There is a BIG reason Airbluster doesn't advertise NET orders.

Try doing a little research on a380 and its cargo version...

[TBWG]

So much rubbish floating around this topic.

First of all, Lockheed-Martin is one of the largest aerospace firms in the world so many companies can do far worse than to go the way of Lockheed.

Secondly, EADS/Airbus is not a French company, it's a German, French, British, and Spanish company.

Thirdly, anyone thinking that they are safer because the terrorists will all go after the A380 instead of the 747 seems to forget that the most lethal act of terrorism ever involving aircraft were made with smaller 767s and 757s. Also, the A380s are all new but does the poster know how to tell a new 747 from a 30yr old one with a new paint job, or find out before booking the flight if their aircraft is a third world cast-off that's been fixed up?

Doubt it.

Hi

Lockheed may be one of the largest aerospace companies but I am unaware of them currently making any commercial aircraft.

Also when it comes to being a terrorist target it is the nationality that seems to be the magnet, particularly if you have the word American or US in the carriers name.

Just my thoughts.

TBWG

[TBWG]

"Boeing's net orders, after... 10 cancellations, is 698.

Airbus does not provide a net order total." TBWG

There is a BIG reason Airbluster doesn't advertise NET orders.

Try doing a little research on a380 and its cargo version...

Hi

Quiet right, but I would still not say that Boeing are miles ahead.

As for the flying wing job, doubt i'll see it in my lifetime.

TBWG

[cdnvic]

No US carriers have ordered A380s so that shouldn't be an issue.

[meemiathai]

I am not sure, but I think I can detect a sense of humour failure or a complete lack of one from some posters

I had some real laughs at some of the comments, irony, sarcasm, humour it is all there, not often a good laugh on here, but wait its not too long before the miserable gits come along and bring it down.

Why not start an "I know what I am talking about and listen to me I am serious" thread about it if this one is not to your liking ?

Laugh a little it dont hurt

I am glad that farangs are treated like ATMs in thailand. Stupid people should be parted from their money.

[Cobalt60]

I am not sure, but I think I can detect a sense of humour failure or a complete lack of one from some posters

I had some real laughs at some of the comments, irony, sarcasm, humour it is all there, not often a good laugh on here, but wait its not too long before the miserable gits come along and bring it down.

Why not start an "I know what I am talking about and listen to me I am serious" thread about it if this one is not to your liking ?

Laugh a little it dont hurt

I am glad that farangs are treated like ATMs in thailand. Stupid people should be parted from their money.

Quite agree, I have lost thousands, how about you ?

[peterpanner]

I am not sure, but I think I can detect a sense of humour failure or a complete lack of one from some posters

I had some real laughs at some of the comments, irony, sarcasm, humour it is all there, not often a good laugh on here, but wait its not too long before the miserable gits come along and bring it down.

Why not start an "I know what I am talking about and listen to me I am serious" thread about it if this one is not to your liking ?

Laugh a little it dont hurt

I am glad that farangs are treated like ATMs in thailand. Stupid people should be parted from their money.

Lamest post ever and off topic. I don't mind being 50-100K ATM for Thai GIRLS, I can afford it. As for the story, my Buddha, a new size plane gets manouvered in a rather new airport and gets a scratch. Hardly worth mentioning if you ask me, I did enjoy many of the comments though.