Orient Thai plunges from sky after engine fails

[ToddinChonburi]

More fun for the Chinese, things just keep getting better.

[bananafish]

Nosebleeds? Fainting? From descending too fast??

I used to suffer from the most debilitating headaches and sometimes nose bleeds every time I got a flight.

For years I would take decongestants and painkillers every time I was on a plane.

Then about a year ago I forgot to bring them, and was panicking, waiting on the most awful splitting headache to kick in as the plane descended, but it didn't, I somehow never get them any more.

The first time it happened to me I legitimately asked the person next to me on the flight if my eyes were bleeding, the pain is unbelievable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosinusitis

[Tywais]

An aircraft can't stall at any speed.

A bit surprised to hear you say that as it flies in the face of my flight training and hundreds of other instructors and including the FAA. Again, it is the critical angle of attack that is the determining factor and loss of laminar flow across the wings. You could be in a nose down rapid descent doing 150mph and pull suddenly back on the control and exceed the critical angle of attack creating a stall but still have high airspeed.

[sandyf]

I always assumed forward momentum and glide ratio would prevent a plane from falling from the sky?

Any aircraft can stall at any speed. When it stalls, sometimes the pilot can reestablish laminar flow over the wings and sometimes they cannot. In any case it takes time to recover from a stall and during that time, it falls like a lead balloon.

An aircraft can't stall at any speed.

It was reported that an engine failed, not that it stalled.

In any event, altitude is the only requirement to escape a stall, and modern jet transports don't stall. They are programmed to override pilot control inputs to avoid stalling.

Just wondering....about that air asia indonesia flight....was that not a stall?

Yes, all the reports indicate that. Tried to climb too quickly with insufficient power to maintain the airflow over the wings.

The real puzzle there is why the pilot did not react to the stall warning.

[Shadychris]

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

Because the journalist are afraid of being shot by a certain prime minister/general.

Cheap shot, much? Member for nine years and 895 posts. That's a hundred posts a year. I think you are a troll.

"That's a hundred posts a year. I think you are a troll"

Hmmn and that from a member of just 5 years with over 4,000 posts already - that's eight hundred posts a year! If trollness is to be determined by proliferation of posts, you definitely have the bragging rights.....

[mongoose11]

That would be so <deleted!> terrifying ..... when the plane then leveled out and landed - that would have to be a life changer.

The thought of it breaking apart in the air and being conscious.

[easybullet3]

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Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

That would be terrifying. Glad they were able to put it down safely.

Report on the flight http://avherald.com/h?article=483fc32e

Hard to believe this airline is still in existence with their 1-2-Go debacle in Phuket. Couldn't pay me to get on one of their aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-Two-GO_Airlines_Flight_269

"Well used" aircraft http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Orient%20Thai%20Airlines.htm

I thought this Airline went out of business YEARS ago!! it had so many issues (about 8+ years ago).

i thought it was a Blacklisted Airline (along with Phuket Air)

[Anon999]

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

Because the journalist are afraid of being shot by a certain prime minister/general.

Cheap shot, much? Member for nine years and 895 posts. That's a hundred posts a year. I think you are a troll.

Some of us have better things to do than spend our lives on TVF. Another kbd warrior generalising.

[stoli]

Nosebleeds? Fainting? From descending too fast??

Ever been in that situation? No, I thought not.... Maybe you can give us some insight on what has happened during your attempts to replicate this. Does the brain sort of lose focus on your knowledge of everything?

[weegee]

Maybe thats why certain airlines were banned from Japan on tourist flights??

[chainarong]

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I always assumed forward momentum and glide ratio would prevent a plane from falling from the sky?

Depends on the experience and training on the flight deck for this type of emergency.

[Shadychris]

That would be terrifying. Glad they were able to put it down safely.

Refreshing to see a pilot working hard to save passengers, crew and aircraft...rather than locking the door and nose diving it into a mountain or ocean.

What an incredibly crass and insensitive comment - even by TV standards! You say 'refreshing to see a pilot working hard to save passengers' as if that is unusual, and now suddenly the norm is for pilots to take passengers to their deaths. You sir are a prize prat.

[mikiea]

Nosebleeds? Fainting? From descending too fast??

yes issues with blood pressure, all that soy sauce & msg over the years takes its toll. mini strokes on da plane da plane :-)

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

That would be terrifying. Glad they were able to put it down safely.

Report on the flight http://avherald.com/h?article=483fc32e

Hard to believe this airline is still in existence with their 1-2-Go debacle in Phuket. Couldn't pay me to get on one of their aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-Two-GO_Airlines_Flight_269

"Well used" aircraft http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Orient%20Thai%20Airlines.htm

I thought this Airline went out of business YEARS ago!! it had so many issues (about 8+ years ago).

i thought it was a Blacklisted Airline (along with Phuket Air)

So did I . 1, 2 Go I think was their slogan. Some research, Orient started 1995, Ceased to go into charter Jan 98, rtnd back to Schedule services , 1,2, Go sister airline ceased in 2010 their aircraft re-branded to Orient Thai, it operates both Charter and schedule domestic and one o/seas destination HK

Edited March 31, 2015 by chainarong

[cloudhopper]

I always assumed forward momentum and glide ratio would prevent a plane from falling from the sky?

Any aircraft can stall at any speed. When it stalls, sometimes the pilot can reestablish laminar flow over the wings and sometimes they cannot. In any case it takes time to recover from a stall and during that time, it falls like a lead balloon.

An aircraft can't stall at any speed.

It was reported that an engine failed, not that it stalled.

In any event, altitude is the only requirement to escape a stall, and modern jet transports don't stall. They are programmed to override pilot control inputs to avoid stalling.

Yes they can It's called an accelerated stall. The only requirement to escape a stall is to reduce the angle of attack. The AF447 pilots did not understand this either.

[geriatrickid]

Sensationalist crap story. Yes there was a mechanical problem, but this happens on a daily basis with the best of the best. How about noting the pilot skills in dealing with the issue?

Personally, I avoid the budget carriers, but a great many customers are cost fixated and put price as the primary purchasing characteristic. One need only look at TVF's travel sub forums to see the amount of complaining over air fares. Those people don't seem to comprehend that quality air crews, maintenance and service costs money.

In Thailand I mostly fly NOK. Why? because the pilots are sourced from TG and the service is contracted to TG flight services.

Edited March 31, 2015 by geriatrickid

[h90]

That would be so f#cking terrifying ..... when the plane then leveled out and landed - that would have to be a life changer.

The thought of it breaking apart in the air and being conscious.

terrifying yes.....life changer??? When you almost die, but didn't, after the next day life is normal as always.....(next day you usually have an hangover from the celebrating)....

[mikiea]

I'm a pilot that often flies a twin-engine aircraft and I can assure you that when an engine fails, the aircraft doesn't just "plunge out of the sky". If the pilot responds to it quickly, chances are passengers won't even notice (depending on the aircraft type). Planes can fly fine on one engine, especially if they are already straight and level at altitude.

Perhaps there was also depressurisation issues, hence the rapid descent and oxygen masks. It wouldn't just nose dive due to a single engine failure.

huh..... yes it would if both pilots were crying "da plane da plane" & slapping their head.....:-)

[Jiggo]

Well done to the Captain and Co-pilot, must have Pooed themselfs though......

[Alfred Gruetzner]

Good pilots are able to handle an engine failure during cruising speed in a way that the passengers do not even feel that something is wrong. But it is necessary to check the instruments constantly. If the plane starts to stall then it is obvious: Unawarness of the flying crew! Can be deadly. If the plane - for example - has a speed of 600 nm - then an engine failure will not put the plane immediately in a stall situation, The crew has ample time to react. If the plane is in take off situation the crew might handle this much better, because they are, have to, constantly observing the engine instruments and know what to do if an engine shuts down.

[Srikcir]

The airframe is about the last obstacle to aircraft longevity. Everything else can be retrofitted, updated, or replaced. But once the airframe which includes the tail and wing assemblies begin to show micro cracking or stressing, the aircraft is finished.

However, some countries have found certain military aircraft have such a demand for specific mission support like the A-10 Thunderbolt and B-52 that they will go as far as to reinforce or replace even major aircraft structural components. The alternative is a complete redesign that may take a decade to put into service and at 10x the cost.

[h90]

Good pilots are able to handle an engine failure during cruising speed in a way that the passengers do not even feel that something is wrong. But it is necessary to check the instruments constantly. If the plane starts to stall then it is obvious: Unawarness of the flying crew! Can be deadly. If the plane - for example - has a speed of 600 nm - then an engine failure will not put the plane immediately in a stall situation, The crew has ample time to react. If the plane is in take off situation the crew might handle this much better, because they are, have to, constantly observing the engine instruments and know what to do if an engine shuts down.

If you have the engines on the wing and 1 fails, wouldn't the airplane make a sharp turn, which may cause some other problems. And what would the autopilot do in such a situation?

[Jdietz]

Same as the pilot, give lots of right rudder to compensate. (Dead foot is dead engine)

[mathias67]

Oldest planes in Asia. Have a look at them! Amazing they are still allowed to fly. But this is Amazing Thailand!

Perhaps that is why yesterday if memory serves me the junta we saying they need to improve thesafety of Thai aircraft ?????

[hstamm]

Should have a look at this:

http://avherald.com/h?article=483fc32e&opt=0

[atsiii]

Sounds to me like an emergency descent due to loss of pressurization.

[slipperylobster]

That would be terrifying. Glad they were able to put it down safely.

Refreshing to see a pilot working hard to save passengers, crew and aircraft...rather than locking the door and nose diving it into a mountain or ocean.

What an incredibly crass and insensitive comment - even by TV standards! You say 'refreshing to see a pilot working hard to save passengers' as if that is unusual, and now suddenly the norm is for pilots to take passengers to their deaths. You sir are a prize prat.

you sure infer alot, don't you? Most things that are nice, do not make the news. This year...we had a few missing aircraft. Sometimes the news gets all wrapped around pilot error..and fails to recognize the good pilots, who quietly deal with emergencies.

My statement rightfully congratulates this pilot who was able to land the airplane safely. I am much relieved that it was not another report of pilot error. I do not write the newspapers. I stand by my statement, although you are reading way too far into it....

Obviously I was referring to the media coverage during the past year...not making a derogatory statement towards all pilots. Lets just say "Refreshing to read a good story with a happy ending"....that should make you less jittery.

Perhaps you had a bad day?

Edited March 31, 2015 by slipperylobster

[Seelow]

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

Because the journalist are afraid of being shot by a certain prime minister/general.

Cheap shot, much? Member for nine years and 895 posts. That's a hundred posts a year. I think you are a troll.

Member 5 years, 4000+ posts. I think know you need switch off the computer an get a life. BTW, it's not the volumeof posts that's important, it's the quality. Edited March 31, 2015 by Seelow

[arrowsdawdle]

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

Paint on the logo just wouldn't dry?

[Sakeopete]

Oh nooo, more bad news for thai aviation.

Who will fly with any of them from now on? Not me or my collegues....

But this happened saturday? Then why it's in the news on tuesday??

Because the journalist are afraid of being shot by a certain prime minister/general.

Must be one of the anti PM brigade, how ridiculous to state Quote "being shot "

Sorry I should have been more accurate and said "execute" instead of shoot. BTW I am pro PM just being cheeky with the post.