Kuwait Airlines KU118 flight: New York to Kuwait Plane In State Of Emergency

[Chicog]

I believe there are allowances for those traveling as for as eating goes in Muslim beliefs.

Depends on time of day/night

There are also allowances for being sick.

And if you want, you can fast extra for someone who can't.

It's all very well worked out.

Having said that, I still don't know why it's called a fast, as they all eat more and put on weight.

[kolohe]

ATC does not choose the airport an aircraft diverts to. The pilots and the company dispatchers jointly decide where to divert a plane to. Based on the nature of the emergency hey take into consideration things like timeliness, runway/airport suitability (length/weather/emergency services/etc), whether the airport is served by that airline or not (if it is then extra crew, ground handling/staff, fuel contracts, parts, maintenance, etc are in place to turn the plane. If not then is a huge can of worms) and flight planning. Just a guess here but I would say that the airport was in a reasonable radius for the descent, its an airport they already serve and it may have been already listed on their flight plan as an ETOPS alternate.

The rule of thumb for manually planning a descent is 3:1 plus additives for deceleration or other factors. From 35,000' a pilot is going to figure 105nm + 10-20nm + any other factors they feel they need to add for. Modern airplanes automatically calculate descents for you based on the information you have entered into the computer such as descent mach/speed, airspeed or altitude restrictions, etc. Generally speaking you would want to start down no later (or not much later) than the 3:1++.

[coulson]

It's Ramadan, I think they shouldn't have been eating.

They can break fast during travel.

[Seastallion]

I believe there are allowances for those traveling as for as eating goes in Muslim beliefs.

Depends on time of day/night

There are also allowances for being sick.

And if you want, you can fast extra for someone who can't.

It's all very well worked out.

Having said that, I still don't know why it's called a fast, as they all eat more and put on weight.

Bit of trivia: There is a very tall building (may be the Birj Arabia), where the reigious authorities have declared that on the top floors Ramadan starts a few minutes later than on the ground floors because sunset is observed those few minutes later, way up there. Sunrise is earlier for them too....so their night is shorter.

[user786895]

It's Ramadan, I think they shouldn't have been eating.

There are many exceptions to the normally strict adherence to Ramadan, e.g. being pregnant, being sick, being a small child.

I will let you figure out why they may have been eating...

[MaxYakov]

what a pile of racists on this forum! might have to stop reading it? Aren't there enough problems with prejudice rather than speculating about absurd ideas. Really nasty and negative.

Relax. Only anti-religionists here. (and a few PPRuNers, now that I think about it)

Edited June 28, 2015 by MaxYakov

[timendres]

Capture.JPG

Flightaware

That plane was off course for a very long time.

And now the reason is said to be food poisoning. Seems to me that Paris was closer and could assist with food poisoning.

I am a little unclear as to how food poisoning would cause a plane to be off course, unless the pilot was hallucinating.

[MaxYakov]

I believe there are allowances for those traveling as for as eating goes in Muslim beliefs.

Depends on time of day/night

There are also allowances for being sick.

And if you want, you can fast extra for someone who can't.

It's all very well worked out.

Having said that, I still don't know why it's called a fast, as they all eat more and put on weight.

Bit of trivia: There is a very tall building (may be the Birj Arabia), where the reigious authorities have declared that on the top floors Ramadan starts a few minutes later than on the ground floors because sunset is observed those few minutes later, way up there. Sunrise is earlier for them too....so their night is shorter.

I was going to ask how many vertical time zones the Birj was divided into and it turns out it's only three:

"In a fatwa released over the weekend, the Grand Mufti of Dubai called upon Muslims living in skyscrapers, particularly those in the world's tallest tower, to adjust their fasting and prayer times according to what floor they call home.

Dr Ahmed Al Haddad, who is also the head of the Ifta centre at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, said the Burj Khalifa, at more than 828 metres tall with 160 storeys, must be divided into three different times for iftar, or the breaking of the fast. He said the three segments are based on when the actual sun set is "visible" to a tenant."

I hope these people don't take over ATC any time soon. (in a lame attempt to make this appear it's on-topic)

Read more about this impertinent religionist trivia at www.thenational.ae

Edited June 28, 2015 by MaxYakov

[champers]

It could be a remake of Airplane. Captain Over's the pilot, assisted by Roger & Victor.

[uksomchai]

In my opinion, if someone get unwell and they descide to do an emergency landing, why they not land at Belgium where they were flying over, or munich strassbourg... why to fly a whole way in opposite direction ??

It's about the length of time it takes for a commercial airliner to descend from around 35,000ft. At 500 mph, the distance from Germany to England is not that great. Air traffic controllers made the call based on traffic, I would think. Apparently, this was the quickest way down to terra firma.

This is an idea how long for an airliner to descend and can explain why the UK site was chosen. If it was a serious mechanical issue than a quicker than normal descent, such as an emergency descent, may be done for the closest field.

Calculate the starting point of the descent. Normally, the descent rate would define the point at which the descent must be started. Descent rates are usually chosen to be between 333 feet (102 m) per minute and 500 feet (153 m) per minute to give an effective descent without discomforting the passengers due to rising air pressure as the aircraft descends.

The descent is left short of the landing field to give room for the aircraft to line up for final approach. For example, an aircraft is at a ground speed of 300 MPH (480 KPH) and an altitude of 35,000 feet (10675 m). The aircraft needs to complete the descent at 2,500 feet (763 m) altitude and 10 miles (16 km) short of the landing field to allow time for the aircraft to line up for final approach.

At a chosen descent rate of 500 feet (153 m) per minute, the aircraft will take 32,500 divided by 500, or 65 minutes, to complete the descent. The aircraft will fly 325 miles (520 km) in 65 minutes. To allow 10 more miles (16 km) to the runway for final approach, the descent must be started 335 miles (536 km) from the landing field.

How to calculate descent rate

I would also hazard a guess that they diverted to the UK so they could dump their fuel in the channel prior to landing

[Basil B]

ATC does not choose the airport an aircraft diverts to. The pilots and the company dispatchers jointly decide where to divert a plane to. Based on the nature of the emergency hey take into consideration things like timeliness, runway/airport suitability (length/weather/emergency services/etc), whether the airport is served by that airline or not (if it is then extra crew, ground handling/staff, fuel contracts, parts, maintenance, etc are in place to turn the plane. If not then is a huge can of worms) and flight planning. Just a guess here but I would say that the airport was in a reasonable radius for the descent, its an airport they already serve and it may have been already listed on their flight plan as an ETOPS alternate.

The rule of thumb for manually planning a descent is 3:1 plus additives for deceleration or other factors. From 35,000' a pilot is going to figure 105nm + 10-20nm + any other factors they feel they need to add for. Modern airplanes automatically calculate descents for you based on the information you have entered into the computer such as descent mach/speed, airspeed or altitude restrictions, etc. Generally speaking you would want to start down no later (or not much later) than the 3:1++.

My guess is that the crew first advised company opps of the situation over the Atlantic, at that time there was no immediate need for emergency landing at the nearest airport, plans were put in to progress for an unscheduled landing at Heathrow, then it did not seem need too bad and the flight continued, but then probably more people got sick or conditions of the sick deteriorated and the decided to back track to Heathrow where "ground handling" were on stand by for the flight.

As for dumping fuel, probably no need as they would probably already used other half their fuel by the time they got over the Atlantic.

[Naam]

It's Ramadan, I think they shouldn't have been eating.

travellers are not bound to obey Ramadan food commandments.

[cookee68]

Ramadan, what a joke, ISIS would claim responsibility even if a seagull shit on a plane and caused it to land

[Steely Dan]

It's Ramadan, I think they shouldn't have been eating.

travellers are not bound to obey Ramadan food commandments.

Yet.