[MarcusUK]

BBC Radio 4 Lunchtime news reported that the aircraft took a wrong taxiway, despite instructions from atc?

[FormerlyDoS]

That it took the wrong taxiway is a fact; why is the burning question.

I did put a link up on the other thread, to the airport plate (map), which shows that taxiway Bravo (B) turns fairly sharply to the left, before it enters runway 03, but that taxiway Mike (narrower) leads directly on ahead, so unless you see the signs/markings that inform you, it could be easier to continue without realising immediately that you had changed taxi ways.

As I said in that earlier post, things that are easy by day are often not so easy at night. During daylight, the crew would have been able to see the reduced taxiway width more easily, than at night and also probably noticed how close the building was to the edge.

[millionsofmiles]

@FormerlyDoS…you said:

“QAll passengers were safely evacuated by the most exemplary BA crew and none would consider flying with any other airline at any time in the future”

Also, all CW seats were in day mode, and all pax enjoying direct aisle access, whilst sipping ‘poo in the 1-2-1, 1-1-1-1 layout.”

Are you sure it was not the Captain enjoying the ‘poo?…when suddenly a building appeared out of nowhere and attacked the plane?

Honestly, I feel sorry for the Captain. No happy Christmas for him this year.

[FormerlyDoS]

I feel very sorry for the Captain and the FOs, they will be under the microscope.

Maybe you ought to edit the reference to driving under the influence, as the guy’s career is at stake now?

My dig was at a certain poster for seeing night as day, not the BA Captain, who has gone where many pilots might have, save for the grace of god. (Including me, as a PPL.)

[MartynSinclair]

I do find it slightly amazing that pilots are able to fly for 12 hours through the night, master an approach, still in the dark and on a bad day, only see the landing lights at less than 500 feet above the ground (in time around 15 seconds prior to touch down).

Yet, here an aircraft being taxied, takes a wrong turning (before flight) and oh dear………. slices the roof of a building off.

Yes we can all joke about the cause (I am as guilty as the next) but this story comes straight out of an April fools repertoire…

How the hell does any pilot make this kind of mistake …. or lets call it a “judgement”.. ??

I feel more sorry for the passengers than the pilot……

[rferguson]

An evacuation can be commanded by any of the crew – cockpit of cabin – if they deem that their immediate area is ‘catastrophic’. Or they are privy to other information (eg the tower contacting the aircraft to inform them they can see a fire on part of the aircraft).

It is a balance of what is more risky…..the potential injury from the damage sustained by the aircraft (which in this case did not seem catastropiic) or the potential from injury (or death) from evacuation. If flames or smoke are every present you don’t mess about. You hit that evacuation alarm and blow those slides.

It’s worth remembering the height of a 747. Those shutes are no easy task. And remember the Asiana crash in SFO earlier in the year? One of the few fatalities was caused by a passenger whom had managed to evacuate being hit my a rescue vehicle.

[FormerlyDoS]

Martyn

Late clearance? Distracting the crew and causing too many head down moments? Sign illumination failure?

[millionsofmiles]

FdOS:

I dont think I really need to take it away…the poor chap will be scrutinized, analyzed, blood samples taken.
In my honest opinion I think it was a misreading of the atc orders..and then it just happened. Problem is that all errors in aviation have serious consequences.
If someone can prove it was his mistake, the poor guy is out of business.

[FormerlyDoS]

miillionof miles

I doubt they mis-read the ATC instructions, but rather failed to comply with them by exiting taxiway Bravo and entering Mike, without a clearance.

In the thread I started, I did cut a link to the airport diagram, showing how easy that could be (at night.)

[MartynSinclair]

FDoS – with ALL the flight deck experience on any 747 (especially BA) and this was before flight i.e. all were rested…

…at this moment, I cant see anything other than the pilots screwed up……………… even if there was an incorrect ATC call…

HOWEVER – there are always 2 sides to every story and I seriously hope there is a very sensible and plausible explanation..

[SimonS1]

I would imagine most of us make mistakes in our day jobs from time to time. Some the result of carelessness, others genuine errors.

Unfortunately in the airline industry errors can prove very expensive – damaged plane, cost of recovering the passengers, hotels, EU261 compensation, buckets of bad PR etc.

BA has been unfortunate with this and the engine cowl saga, however I wonder how many other near misses there have been where the pilot has had the good fortune to get away with it……

[BigDog.]

Fair point Simon, though think much of the reaction on this thread is due to an alternative myopic reality constantly peddled by a frequent poster on the forum generally. So when something like this happens, yes we can be empathetic, but also highlight that BA is actually just like the rest of the major UK/EU/US carriers, no better, no worse when it comes to safety or pilot ability.

One hopes the BBC are still filming for the BA documentary and they will get access to the analysis and handling of this incident as the situation develops. The Iceland CEO had to handle the horse meat scandal in camera, one expects the BEEB will be equally diligent/investigative wrt BA.

[ImissConcorde]

Obviously the season for it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25496956

[BA4ever]

>

Simon, every time this question arises, I remember years ago when a Russian aircraft almost landed on a busy highway of Athens. It was clear that the tower people realised what he was doing only a minute before it was too late and hundreds (thousands?) of lives were saved. Had they noticed a couple of minutes later, we’d be talking about one of the most shocking crashes ever…

[LuganoPirate]

Quite a few answers can be had from this piece on the Aviation Herald.

http://avherald.com/h?article=46d6e18c&opt=0

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