Probably very fortunate that the fire was spotted before being airborn.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/09/british-airways-plane-catches-fire-at-las-vegas-airport#comment-59077384
Excellent series of pictures and videos.
Spot the passengers who took to the slides witheir luggage - once a gambler always a gambler?
Should BA ban them from future flights?
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>> Spot the passengers who took to the slides witheir luggage - once a gambler always
>> a gambler?
>>
For take-off and landing: passport, phone and wallet in your pockets, and shoes on would be my advice. Anything else can be left to burn.
Excellent job from the crew, apparently the pilots applauded by the passengers at the end. Headache at Boeing and GE now though.
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LV Metro have put a Police Aware Sticker on it, and Grissom form CSI is leading the investigation.
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>> LV Metro have put a Police Aware Sticker on it, and Grissom form CSI is
>> leading the investigation.
>>
Behind the times (as usual?) Z.
Grissom left CSI years ago!
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The BA 777-200s I've flown in have had Rolls-Royce engines. I'd forgotten that the early orders (pre-2000?) came with GE90s.
The people carrying two hefty bags each away from the burning plane need a spell in prison for endangering others. The BBC report this morning mentioned 12 injuries, and that evacuation took 3 minutes. Given that it's supposed to take 90 seconds, and that this plane was only two-thirds full, that's not impressive.
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Not been on a plane since they were populated entirely by men in dark suits and sunglasses drinking Martinis, and women with a beehive hairdo and dark glasses and probably a silk scarf and a small dog. And you'd swoosh up to the plane in an open top Triumph of some sort and mount the steps idly whilst talking about bank heists.
I know, I've seen it in the movies.
But isn't luggage kept in an overhead locker? Shouldn't they lock automatically if there is an emergency? Soon stop people retrieving stuff in an event like this.
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aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20150908-0
As the Ferret says - GE engines. 16 year old air-frame !
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How many people were injured or hampered by some **** taking a small suitcase or similar down the emergency chute?
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Since this happened in the good ol USA they can probably be prosecuted for 'endangering an airplane' or something similar. Get the extradition papers ready if they are returning Brits.
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Too true. Carrying the bags is downright reckless. Worst scenario is that the slide could be damaged making it useless.
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It's bad enough retards standing up in the aisle grabbing their stuff from the overhead locker before the aircraft is even stationary at the pier. I think if I had been on that plane and the chutes were activated, anyone trying to retrieve overhead baggage would have had their legs kicked from under them and used as a doormat.
As FF says, the odds of anything happening are minuscule, but I always have my shoes on for take off and landing, with wallet & phone in my cargo pockets.
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Yes. Long haul I travel in a pair of Haglofs trousers with side zipped cargo pockets. Passport, wallet, glasses, documents, phone in said pickets. My noise cancelling head phones and Kindle ( in an Aquapac case) around my neck so I can read whilst sitting in departure lounge. It's a system that works for me.
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...I travel in a pair of Haglofs trousers with side zipped cargo pockets.
And Cranks thinks the style has gone out of flying.
};---)
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But seriously, I used to travel in a tweed jacket & bow tie when flying BMI twixt MAN & Chicago, on a now discontinued route. I hoped it might help with the potential for a free upgrade, but after a dozen flights it never happened, so I resorted to my sloppy self.
My personal motto is '' aim low, expect nothing, don't be disappointed''.
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>> But seriously, I used to travel in a tweed jacket & bow tie when flying
>> BMI twixt MAN & Chicago, on a now discontinued route. I hoped it might help
>> with the potential for a free upgrade, but after a dozen flights it never happened,
>> so I resorted to my sloppy self.
>> My personal motto is '' aim low, expect nothing, don't be disappointed''.
>>
Female acquaintance boarded a BA Jet from Heathrow to Chicago after racing down from Birmingham.
She was wearing jogging bottoms and a white tee-shirt both covered in paint as she had been painting the spare room and forgot the time.
She got upgraded to first class from economy! The rest of us got economy plus - mustn't grumble.
(Mind you she was gorgeous.)
I got upgraded to business on a different trip to Chicago when the couple in front were damn-right rude to the check in clerk for no apparent reason. I gave him a moment to compose himself and he looked at my economy class ticket. Smiled and offered me a business class upgrade.
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>> And house/car keys.
>>
And medication ( maybe a weeks worth?) and prescription for said.
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Some new close up photos
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11852744/BA-plane-fire-why-did-the-Boeing-777-catch-fire.html
A lot of damage to the hold !!!
Initiated by an engine part flying off?
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Regarding taking your belongings.
There's a comment on the Guardian website that says "Don't criticise passengers for taking their bags! People go into panic mode in that situation"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/09/british-airways-plane-catches-fire-at-las-vegas-airport#comment-59077384
You read in the papers of people in house fires stopping to take out items of sentimental value, life savings stored under the mattress, etc, or re-entering the burning building to retrieve them. Quite often with disastrous results.
We're only human after all said and done. In the heat of the moment (no pun intended) who knows how each one of us would behave.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 9 Sep 15 at 12:41
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Very true. Until you are actually in that situation....I think I would want to get the feck out of there ASAP, stuff the overhead bag, but in reality. ...Hope I never have to find out. Two weeks tomorrow I'm on a 767 heading to SLC. As per usual slumming it in the back!
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>> You read in the papers of people in house fires stopping to take out items
>> of sentimental value, life savings stored under the mattress, etc, or re-entering the burning building
>> to retrieve them. Quite often with disastrous results.
In a previous job I had to threaten disciplnary action against a staff member who went back to his desk (rather than straight out the door) when fire alarm went. Carried on after 'advice' proffered hence the threat.
Don't get me started on the two Ministerial Appointees who did leave but went to a coffee shop rather than the assembly point. Pretty sure they were out 'cos I'd checked the floor but couldn't confirm.
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>>staff member who went back to his desk (rather than straight out the door) when fire alarm went.
>> Carried on after 'advice' proffered hence the threat.
I was visiting a business recently who were commissioning their new warehouse.
They were testing the fire alarms and the noise they made was penetrating and made you feel decidedly uncomfortable if you stayed.
The installers advised it was a deliberate design to ensure speedy evacuation as some people had been known to ignore alarms in real fires.
Last edited by: zippy on Wed 9 Sep 15 at 14:15
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Worked at one client site where fire brigade attended as part of a fire drill and as people were evacuating the buildings they took one young lady aside and sat her in the fire engine to check whether the roll call process worked properly.
Not seen that done elsewhere and, in a lot of sites I have worked the roll call process was very limited as there was no real record of who is in the building at any particular time.
Obviously, in an aircraft the occupant list is much ore accurate.
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>> Worked at one client site where fire brigade attended as part of a fire drill
>> and as people were evacuating the buildings they took one young lady aside and sat
>> her in the fire engine to check whether the roll call process worked properly
At least that's what they said.
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>> We're only human after all said and done.
Yes, that's true...
.... and it never ceases to amaze me at the selfishness of some people.
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>> Regarding taking your belongings.
>>
>> There's a comment on the Guardian website that says "Don't criticise passengers for taking their
>> bags! People go into panic mode in that situation"
Not on here. Everyone is berating the pax for getting bags, and in the same posts saying you need to take your cars, keys, your money, your passport, your medication, your shoes, surprised a warm coat, jumper and thermos didn't enter into the advice.
Plane on fire? you leg it. Everything except your life is replaceable.
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>>Plane on fire? you leg it. Everything except your life is replaceable.
Yes. Madness. Blocking an exit route to get a bag could cause others to die. Luckily in this case it didn't.
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As I have my phone, wallet, passport in my cargo pockets I'm not going to waste time emptying them. Don't think they will impede my egress too much. I don't travel in a jumper. A super light PhD down jacket suffices, rolls up into a pillow and often aircraft are quite cool on certain flights.
And I never take my house keys on holiday. Leave with a neighbour who puts them in a secure place.
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Watching the videos, some people seem to be walking away from the plane and standing a few hundred feet away.
I would expect that if the fire got dramatically worse then they would be near enough to be injured by any explosion?
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Anyone else read the BBC news report online, because I have just seen an eye witness account by a certain Ms with the most amazing name. Surely not. It must be a typo or someone having a laugh. I'm dehydrating my funny tears are flowing so much.
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ROFL - could be worse - not quite sure how though!!
Could be a stage name... www.modelmayhem.com/2893890 - nice bit of free publicity!!!
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>> Anyone else read the BBC news report online, because I have just seen an eye
>> witness account by a certain Ms with the most amazing name. Surely not. It must
>> be a typo or someone having a laugh. I'm dehydrating my funny tears are flowing
>> so much.
Reggie Bugmuncher
reggiebugmuncher.com/videos-photos-acts--press-kit.html
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Makes calling a boy, Sue seem a bit limpwristed really.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOHPuY88Ry4
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I have a PHD jacket and a body-warmer - they really are the business. Build quality a bit hit and miss though.
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Serious ultra light backpacking friends have used PHD stuff for years. For a short time this summer they manufactured a Summer Lite 1000 fill power goose down jacket. Only weighs 6oz! And it has Ultrashell, a water resistant outer fabric. I treated myself to one and used it for three weeks this summer. Most of the time we were camping between 8k & 10k feet and it got cool at night. Made an excellent pillow and tucked my sleeping bag into it on especially cold nights for double lower leg insulation.
Not cheap ( v expensive actually) but a good investment overall. A good idea to register for the PHD sales.
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Am I ever to be in a situation like that I hope it is on an Italian airline. None of this women and children first nonsense.
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>> Am I ever to be in a situation like that I hope it is on
>> an Italian airline. None of this women and children first nonsense.
Follow the captain, he'll be safe.
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Too far when you're sat at the back of cattle class like I always am
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Why the fierce fire just there? One might expect projected bits of rotor blade to puncture wing tanks - full to the brim on takeoff - but the fire seems to be ahead of the wing. Big splash of fuel perhaps... But I don't really know what I'm talking about. Enlighten me one of you pilot chaps if you can be bothered.
I always try to sit by an emergency exit on long flights. More legroom just for a start. And the older you get, the more attentive the fragrant hostesses become, worrying about you becoming dehydrated.
Of course I don't anticipate having to slide down a chute with my clobber. although I've always enjoyed slides. No doubt though a potential enormous fireball just behind you is a wonderful spur. You might discover an unsuspected turn of speed and give yourself a heart attack.
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>> Why the fierce fire just there? One might expect projected bits of rotor blade to
>> puncture wing tanks - full to the brim on takeoff - but the fire seems
>> to be ahead of the wing. Big splash of fuel perhaps...
looks to me like the flames of the fire were burning the strongest towards the wing root. Perhaps a gentle tail wind pushed the fire forward.
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>> Why the fierce fire just there? One might expect projected bits of rotor blade to
>> puncture wing tanks - full to the brim on takeoff
I guess if a tank was pierced and fuel leaked the fire would have been even more serious. Other petroleum products like lubricating oils can burn vigorously too once it's hot enough.
The Airtours 737 accident at Manchester in 1985 lead to a procedure where aircraft with wing/engine fires on round were supposed to be halted in such way that fire was downwind of fuselage. OK when Tower can tell you wind has a consistent direction and measurable speed. Looks as though there was merest hint of wind here, but enough to concentrate flames inboard of fire's set an onto wing root/left side of cabin.
There will bean AAIB report in due course.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 9 Sep 15 at 20:39
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>> The Airtours 737 accident at Manchester in 1985 lead to a procedure where aircraft with
>> wing/engine fires on round were supposed to be halted in such way that fire was
>> downwind of fuselage. OK when Tower can tell you wind has a consistent direction and
>> measurable speed. Looks as though there was merest hint of wind here, but enough to
>> concentrate flames inboard of fire's set an onto wing root/left side of cabin.
There was severe fire damage to one side at wing root and fuselage (looks like a total hull loss to me based on age of aircraft) AND bad smoke damage on the other side Overwing exits on both sides therefore blocked.
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>> The Airtours 737 accident at Manchester in 1985 lead to a procedure where aircraft
>> with wing/engine fires on round were supposed to be halted in such way that fire
>> was downwind of fuselage
It's something we consider and most pilots will discuss it entering the runway. However, an RTO is such an aggressive manoeuvre that I suspect in real life we'd slide to a halt in a straight line with the autobrakes in and reversers banging away.
I've no doubt they discussed it before take-off, but the only indication they'll have had in the flight deck is the loss of thrust. The priority then is getting the aircraft stopped on the paved surface and the parking brake set, along with formalising the handover of control (if co-pilot P1) and taking a moment to consider the situation.
Otherwise if you do evacuate you do it with the risk of engines still running and the aircraft taxiing across the airport by itself in the process.
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...the fire seems to be ahead of the wing.
The engine is ahead of the wing. It's attached to it, but the pylon is angled forward so that very little of the length of the engine is directly below the wing.
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They were all lucky that the engine did not hold together for another minute or so when they would have been committed to takeoff.
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>> They were all lucky that the engine did not hold together for another minute or
>> so when they would have been committed to takeoff.
True but OTOH a 180kt headwind on the engine would have a very different effect from a mild cross wind while stopped.
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>> They were all lucky that the engine did not hold together for another minute or
>> so when they would have been committed to takeoff.
Depends what happened. If the engine caught fire might have been ok to put out due to airflow, if its an uncontained failure (i.e. inside bits exploding outside and rupturing wing and fuselage) could have been very nasty indeed.
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>> if its an uncontained failure (i.e. inside bits exploding outside and rupturing wing and fuselage) could have been very nasty indeed.
I understood that was what had happened, shards of rotor blade coming out like bullets. And it nearly was very nasty, lucky no one was killed.
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>> Follow the captain, he'll be safe.
>>
Too true, I was given an escape bririfing by a Sea King pilot. It was put your hand on the back of my seat, pivot round it and go out of my window. Don't worry, I will not be in your way. Another one was if I say escape don't say pardon or you will be talking to yourself.
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I am always impressed by the professionalism in the voices of the crew and air traffic control.
Thompson 757 at Manchester in 2007: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE
So cool headed – I would be a little more colourful!
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I wonder how much worse the engine failure was on today's BA flight before take-off....???
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>> I wonder how much worse the engine failure was on today's BA flight before take-off....???
Much worse I think. The Thomson machine ingested a bird which went through the engine and out the back, taking some components out by same route. The flash of flame was unburned fuel from the combusters. As soon as the engine was secured and fuel cut the fire stopped.
In this case it looks as if something failed internally ejecting parts sideways through the engine casing. As mentioned above they're like bullets and can do damage fuselage and control services as well as the engine's auxiliary drives pumps etc.
Investigation will focus on identifying the part that failed and the failure mode. Manufacturer and regulators may impose restrictions and tight inspection schedules on engines of that type until a cause/cure have emerged.
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Appears to have been the pilot's penultimate flight before retirement. Which he has brought forward by one flight.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34206347
Quite a way to go out.
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Trip, not flight. He was due to fly to Barbados and back.
}:---)
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Next time he might be flying there with Capt Tobias Wilcock, on Coconut Airways
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BA777 - lucky escape in Las Vegas - Fursty Ferret
