Wing tip Vs Building

[FLEX1978 373]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528213/Take-drama-BA-jet-bound-London-hits-airport-building.html

 

A good chunk of those BA744's are nearing retirement, including the one involved. Makes me wonder if it will be a right off?

 

Moral of the story, turn crash detection off whilst taxiing!

[WR269 367]

182 pax?? Wow, that is a very light load. Wonder if we will have the same armchair experts as we did when the A380 hit the CRJ a few years ago and "you should always know where your wingtips are"...

 

Sent from my Mobile thing

 

 

[g_precentralis 191]

Well, you should always know where your wingtips are, but first you should know where your aircraft is! They entered wrong taxiway despite very clear caution text in taxi briefing chart.

[FLEX1978 373]

Haha damn right, you should always know where your wingtips are! I feel sorry for the crew but this wasn't in low visibility... They tore though a building, thankfully with only minor injury to a few inside.

 

Not wanting to dramatise but those wings are full of fuel..

 

I always say it but imagine if an African airline tore through a building at Heathrow in CAVOK. I guess we are just human at the end of the day.

[WR269 367]

Well, having been to Joburg a few times, I can tell you markings were not the best and the light was very poor. It is a big airport. If they believed they were in the correct taxiway (which would have been certified for 747 ops) I daresay they would not have had many concerns regarding wingtip clearance.

 

Sent from my Mobile thing

 

 

[g_precentralis 191]

Agree, maybe markings are not so good and light is poor, but when you read: "Pilots have to exercise CAUTION when taxiing on TWY B as the Apron M extends immediately South of TWY B." that's a very good reason to pay extra attention in that area.

[James Bennett 52]

Four people injured in the building. Imagine sitting there then a wing appears.

[FLEX1978 373]

Anyone who works hard enough to get into the left/right seat of a BA 747 gets my complete respect. Just complacency will bite you in the a** the second you lose focus. These guys probably operated out of Joburg countless time.

 

Happy to hear the injuries where minor, a 747 wingtip to the face would not be pretty

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Oh that will just buff right out....Nothing to see here  :lol:

[g_precentralis 191]

Look at building and wing damage!

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=642500435789383&set=pcb.642508722455221&type=1&theater

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=642500455789381&set=pcb.642508722455221&type=1&theater

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Seeing that damage there is a very good chance that aircraft never makes it out of South Africa ever again. Not worth it to repair it, just retire it and let the local scrap collectors at it. 

 

Perhaps one of our members in South Africa could salvage that flight deck to make a pretty sweet home cockpit?

[FLEX1978 373]

Yeah, I saw those earlier. That wing was full of fuel taking out half a building made of steel and concrete.

 

@Mathew, no way that aircraft is getting repaired, sadly the end for that machine. BA have a bunch of 744's sitting in the desert, the cost to repair that is not worth it.

[styckx 1,871]

That should buff right out..

 

Edit: Darn it.. I just read the rest of the thread. Someone beat me to the "Buff right out" joke... :lol:

[BIGSKY 316]

"But,for the grace of God,go I." feel for the crew, they will be doing the dreaded carpet dance,with no tea or biscuits.

[meshman 109]

That should buff right out..

 

Edit: Darn it.. I just read the rest of the thread. Someone beat me to the "Buff right out" joke... :lol:

 

Well, there is still an opening for coming up with some witty comment about getting out of Africa with a wing and a prayer...