Emergency Landing At Suvarnabhumi

[george]

Southbound plane returns to Suvarnabhumi with wing defect

SUVARNABHUMI: -- After leaving Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday morning, a Thai AirAsia aircraft had to abort its flight to Narathiwat, officially due to technical reasons, but passengers said the U-turn was more about part of its wing falling off.

The jet eventually reached its destination safely after a five-hour delay at Suvarnabhumi and lengthy arguments between passengers and airline representatives.

One of the 94 passengers, Anothai Polsuwan, 40, a lecturer at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, said they boarded at 9.35am and after half an hour into the flight, the captain announced that a technical problem had occurred and turned the plane back to Bangkok.

Passengers were told they would have a new plane ready for departure at 12.45, Anothai said. He and his co-passengers believed that the "the technical problem" was in fact the cover of the upper section of the jet's right wing that had peeled off.

They noticed that the mechanics fixing the wing did not look too confident, he said.

After two hours of waiting, they became upset upon learning that they had to fly on the same aircraft, which the budget airline's officials insisted had been repaired, he said.

The chief mechanic was summoned to assure the passengers that the missing component - which was not replaced due to the lack of a spare - would not impair the aircraft's operability.

But some passengers were not convinced. They insisted that Thai AirAsia officials back up their word that the plane was safe by getting on with them and flying to Narathiwat.

"If it's a test flight, I won't complain, but this is a plane full of passengers. How can you fly it when its wing has no cover like that?" Anothai said.

Airline officials even offered to refund the airfare. But after an hour of furious discussion between both sides, the passengers gave in and boarded the plane, finally arriving without any further adventure in Narathiwat at 2.30pm.

--The Nation 2006-10-08

[Crossy]

Phuket Air here we come.

I wonder if any passengers took pictures of the missing cover. It would be very interesting to discover exactly what had 'fallen off'.

For now I will avoid Air Asia (actually I avoid them anyway, too much of a zoo on boarding).

[John K]

I only flew with them one time, and it made me think of an old Jerry Lewis movie where he was the man at the ticket counter, ground crew, flight attendant, and pilot. It make me wonder just how many people are on they payroll with them, and in particular how many mechanics.

The aircraft looked relatively new but as with any mechanical device the older it gets the more things fail.

Edited October 8, 2006 by John K

[BongBong]

For now I will avoid Air Asia (actually I avoid them anyway, too much of a zoo on boarding).

It is quite risky, most of their planes are old.

[OlRedEyes]

Southbound plane returns to Suvarnabhumi with wing defect

After two hours of waiting, they became upset upon learning that they had to fly on the same aircraft, which the budget airline's officials insisted had been repaired, he said.

The chief mechanic was summoned to assure the passengers that the missing component - which was not replaced due to the lack of a spare - would not impair the aircraft's operability.

Believe anybody in Thailand at your own peril.

Sounds like the VIP bus I travelled on that blew a tyre. No spare. Carry on with what is left, at same speed. Mai pen rai.

[John K]

Southbound plane returns to Suvarnabhumi with wing defect

After two hours of waiting, they became upset upon learning that they had to fly on the same aircraft, which the budget airline's officials insisted had been repaired, he said.

The chief mechanic was summoned to assure the passengers that the missing component - which was not replaced due to the lack of a spare - would not impair the aircraft's operability.

Believe anybody in Thailand at your own peril.

Sounds like the VIP bus I travelled on that blew a tyre. No spare. Carry on with what is left, at same speed. Mai pen rai.

60-20-20

[englishoak]

when your times up it's up..... when it's not it's not...

[Asian Frog]

Aviation is heavily regulated everywhere in the world including Thailand.

Following a failure or the absence of a panel on a wing, the procedure is as follow for every Airlines:

1) If component failure and cannot be repaired: you have to check what we call "the Minimum Equipment List". Tolerances are given and operational constraints may have to be implemented

2) In case a panel is missing, (often just an inspection cover), due to aerodynamic consideration, you have to check the CDL ( Configuration Deviation List) established by the Manufacturer and approved by the certification Authority. (Mostly of case, it is just a 2 or 3 % consumption increase that you have to take into account).In case, your case is not listed you have to send a fax to the Manufacturer and get his approval for doing your flight.

Most Airlines try to repair as the first step and only go through MEL or CDL process if they cannot do another way. To fly with an inspection panel lost is not a rare affair.

Cool guys

Edited October 8, 2006 by Asian Frog

[Asian Frog]

If the Captain has decided to come back, you can understand that some verifications have to be undertaken and the compatibility with MEL, CDL or Manufacturer agreement checked. wise decision to proceed to the checks and then if everything fulfills the conditions as stated in the Manuals, no reason you cannot do your flight. Nothing extraordinary only good airmanship, maybe just a lack of communication.

Edited October 8, 2006 by Asian Frog

[Heng]

You get what you pay for. And at those prices they were lucky that they didn't wheel out a 1-2 Go/Orient Thai charter L-1011 for the replacement plane.

[britmaveric]

No biggie - no pilot in the world would take off in a plane that wasnt safe, standard operatiing procedure.

[Phil Conners]

You really are quite naive Brit. Define "safe". Plenty of pilots would take off in planes that by IATA standards isn't "safe".

As for "when your times up it's up..... when it's not it's not" - I guess you run around blindfolded on Sukhumvit, right? I mean, if it's not your time you won't be hit.

[skippybangkok]

No biggie - no pilot in the world would take off in a plane that wasnt safe, standard operatiing procedure.

Pilots are like contractors, " lets take a few re-bars out, the building wont fall down ".

[Farma]

I’ve been in a few military planes with “instant airframe” tape covering holes where access panels had been ripped off in flight. Some of the holes were 12” x 10”. These were temporary repairs allowing the planes to make it back to home base.

As long as the area wasn’t on a leading edge it was ok. The boundary layer protected the tape and the tape was still in place on landing. I’ve seen that tape stay in place on supersonic flights.

I haven’t seen where this airasia plane had the problem so I can’t comment on their repair procedure.

[Scott]

when your times up it's up..... when it's not it's not...

Yes, but when the pilot's time is up--I don't want to go with him!

[Crushdepth]

Aviation is heavily regulated everywhere in the world including Thailand.

Following a failure or the absence of a panel on a wing, the procedure is as follow for every Airlines:

1) If component failure and cannot be repaired: you have to check what we call "the Minimum Equipment List". Tolerances are given and operational constraints may have to be implemented

Are wings on the minimum equipment list?

[Old Croc]

Many years ago at the old Perth Airport I witnessed a 747, being pushed back for departure, clipping a tree near the fire station and damaging the wing tip. The impact knocked a largish branch from the tree and dented the wing sufficiently for me to clearly see it from some distance away.

To my great surprise, the aircraft continued taxiing to the far end of the airport and seemed about to takeoff when someone obviously pointed it out to the pilots and it returned to the terminal. Twenty minutes and a roll or two of tape later and the aircraft continued it's journey.

The trees were gone the next day.

[moonoi]

You really are quite naive Brit. Define "safe". Plenty of pilots would take off in planes that by IATA standards isn't "safe".

As for "when your times up it's up..... when it's not it's not" - I guess you run around blindfolded on Sukhumvit, right? I mean, if it's not your time you won't be hit.

IATA don't have standards that you suggest. Its a body run by the airlines for the airlines

Your probably thinking of CAA/JAA/FAA who set the standards for airworthiness.

[Asian Frog]

Yes to confirm some points

1) IATA is an association of regular Airlines (which excludes Charters and Low costs), its activity is mainly on tariff, training and lobbying. It is not a regulatory or certification body like UK-CAA, FAA, EASA....

2) Crushdepth : To be serious... if only half of a wing "has fallen", I think we will be discussing about the cause of the accident....

3) But yeah with a "winglet" missing you can fly, it is in the deviation list of some aircraft. As you have been witnessed, we used a kind of aluminium scotch tape to smooth a breakage of a profile and protect the equipment underneath when we have a small incident like Old Croc reports.

Structure of a wings are built around 2 or 3 mains beams (named spars) hinged on the fuselage. Those beams (not visible from outside) are taking most of the stresses. The skin takes only one part of the stresses. A modern aircraft structure is "fail-safe", which means that if one component of the stress path is missing or broken, the remaining part of the structure can cope with the total stresses without exceeding the elastic limits. At the difference of a car, aircraft structure are not monocoque but semi-monocoque: the skin take only partly the stresses.

Edited October 9, 2006 by Asian Frog

[meemiathai]

What's all that fuss about?

There are a total of 2 wings on a frickin plane!

[Martin]

My generation flew around in the Arctic with Wheeler Airlines, who gave us all confidence with a notice over our flight dispatcher's desk at Cape Dyer that said: "Any of our landings that you walk away from are classed as good ones".

But those thirty year old DC-3s did us proud. And one of the DC4s of the early 1950s is still up there flying happily around. CF-IQM, if I remember aright, but I will have to check that.

Here is a photo of a landing on a fine day. Groping around in that fiord in times of patchy fog has been known to turn strong men sweaty.

[OlRedEyes]

What's all that fuss about?

There are a total of 2 wings on a frickin plane!

Eventually, a sane voice on TV

[Asian Frog]

wing missing

winglet missing

Edited October 9, 2006 by Asian Frog

[Martin]

The metaphorical description was "coming in on one wing and a prayer".

I came down (11 hours and 40 minutes flight time) from Cape Dyer to Montreal once with the big fuselage loading doors missing.

A stupid clot had driven a forklift truck into them (and got himself thumped by an irate passeger, as we were all a bit 'bushed' after being delayed several days by bad weather and so being overdue to start our R&R).

There was no way the doors could be shut, so they were taken off and put in the plane to be 'sorted' at Montreal. Three 8 foot by 4 foot sheets of plywood were then roughly sawn to shape and fastened in their place.

It was quite common to be sitting on one of the fold-down bucket seats, idly eying the cargo under the net, and realise that one piece was a (filled) coffin.

No 'eye candy' with Wheeler. The cooks at Cape Dyer made up packed lunches and we got two and a bottle of water to see us through. But men will put up with a lot if the pay packet is big enough.

The runway shown had the reputation of being the world's most frightening. Landings had to be at the cliff end, as the opposite approach was blocked by a hill. Because the wind blew into the bay, there was an updraft in front of the cliff. So the procedure was to make a normal approach, be lifted by the updraft and so not able to touch down with enough room to stop, go around and then make a second a second approach lower down and heading right into the cliff. Just about when everybodies' knuckles were white, the updraft would lift up the Dc3 and it could drop right on the threshold. No plane ever flew into the cliff, but there were several cases at the far end of planes that had not been able to stop before running off into the rocks.

And when the left brake seizes on a DC3, everybody gets out through the hatch in the roof of the flight deck.

[geoffphuket]

I would think this was an interesting flight for those on board

[jetjock]

High speed tape (looks like shiny aluminum foil) is to airplanes what duct tape is to cars--it will fix several problems temporarily !! But if it doesn't-enjoy the ride down !

[jetjock]

Anyone interested in aviation that would like to see a video clip of an Israeli Air Force pilot landing an F-15 safely with only one wing after a mid-air collision-go to the following link: [http://www.whoisthemonkey.com/videos/31f15-flying-with-1-wing]

It is really amazing example of how tough an aircraft can be in survival mode ( A lot of luck also helps !! .

Edited October 9, 2006 by jetjock

[meemiathai]

What's all that fuss about?

There are a total of 2 wings on a frickin plane!

Eventually, a sane voice on TV

[Asian Frog]

meemiathai

I understand you can be fed up by this thread, but at the start of this you have a journalist exageration. If you read the article carefully (The Nation), you will see that it was probably just a panel missing. However some passengers are panicking above any reasonable level when there is an incident concerning their flight: it is to the aviation professionals to educate people in order to enlarge the understanding of such a situation and that next time people will be less stressed.

Educational posts are necessary to overcome such situations and the exagerations coming from some journalists converting a small incident in a sensational new!

[Ricardo]

What's all that fuss about?

There are a total of 2 wings on a frickin plane!

and they do count them - during the pre-flight walk-round inspection.