[MartynSinclair]

Are there any new pictures of the aircraft 24 hours after the event or has the David Copperfield done some Xmas magic and made it disappear!!

[FormerlyDoS]

Here’s a picture of how to do it properly 😉

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/safe-landing-recycled-747-wing-157079

[AllOverTheGaff]

superchris – 24/12/2013 13:29 GMT
And why has BT not carried it as a news item ( or have I missed it?). If BT are impartial, this would not be an issue surely??

Very odd indeed. It is as if only pro-BA propaganda is allowed. And lots of it.

Merry Christmas!
AOTG.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ FormerlyDoS – 24/12/2013 15:19 GMT

Now that is seriously cool – and trumping Kevin McCloud’s use of an engine intake and nacelle for a hot-tub in his man hut TV series.

Does anyone know what the likely cost would be of replacing the wing tip (and some) of a B744 and whether this is a “stock item” at Boeing? Somehow, I can’t quite see this as being an “unbolt and attach new part” type of job.

[LuganoPirate]

ACSA are pointing the finger squarely at BA on this one and BA have little wriggle room. I don’t know how many heavies have taken off from that one runway and not one has collided with that building while taxiing. At least building repairs are relatively cheap though I expect they’ll use some excuse to pull it all down and rebuild. Think around £400 a square metre to get an idea of the cost.

Looking at the photos, I don’t think the wing is that badly damaged, believe it or not. Hard to say but I think it’s easily repairable though they’ll have to check the airframe for possible twisting after the collision.

[openfly]

The “main spar” of an aircraft is designed to cope with large vertical loads. It is not designed to absorb large horizontal loads such as a wing hitting a large immovable object.

If the main spar on this aircraft has suffered any distortion it is likely that the cost of repair could outweigh the value. Possibly a write-off situation.

[FormerlyDoS]

openfly

I agree. Not just distortion (although I agree it is likely), but the moment on the spar will have been huge and there could be metallurgical damage.

This AAIB report is for a light aircraft and one with a wooden main spar, so no comparison to a B747 (or metallurgical damage), but it makes chilling reading, as it collided with a bale on landing and then the wing came off on the next flight.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aaib.gov.uk%2Fcms_resources%2Fdft_avsafety_pdf_500558.pdf&ei=Uga6Uon1HsWw7AbejYGQDA&usg=AFQjCNHe3a7UKjy0s2RjPAwDUkq-FW3hIg&sig2=Elq7S4oSRX3SDMvCMGj71g

[AnthonyDunn]

Presumably, this plane wont be going anywhere unless and until it’s been subject to ultra-sonic phased array testing as mentioned in this article on aircraft longevity and metal fatigue:

http://www.airspacemag.com/need-to-know/NEED-lifecycles.html

[FormerlyDoS]

AnthonyDunn – 26/12/2013 02:40 GMT

Agreed, thus my comment above about potential metallurgical damage, e.g. cracks. The main spar is strong, but it is not designed to decapitate a brick outbuilding.

But there will also likely be a whole raft of other tests too, looking for distortion (as openfly pointed out) and other damage.

The only reason that these tests will not occur is if the insurance company decides that the cost exceeds the beneft and just writes off the airframe; remember that the most valuable components will probably be the engines and they can be removed and re-used or sold and then possibly some of the avionics.

So the value of the airframe may not justify the cost of testing/repair, but I’m not close enough to the numbers to write with any high degree of certainty.

[BigDog.]

Though some static items aren’t necessarily so. In St.Lucia a river burst its banks floating cargo pods and other debris across the runway causing a VS A330 serious damage.

http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Virgin-Atlantic-aircraft-damaged-on-landing-in-St-Lucia-19222.html

Back on topic the strong rumour is the JNB BA747 is a write-off.

[MartynSinclair]

“Back on topic the strong rumour is the JNB BA747 is a write-off” – that’s a hell of a disclosure if asked on any insurance application whether you have had a write-off…. “yes sadly I wrote off an 747-400, by taking a wrong turning!!”

[FormerlyDoS]

There must be a joke in there, Martyn. Do you remember those alleged extracts from insurance claim forms, that used to do the rounds?

“I was proceeding down a taxi-way, when a building failed to give way and hit my right wing.”

[connorJohnson]

so what will happen to the pilot or atc controller if found guilty?

[TominScotland]

Fair point, connorJohnson. I seem to recall rather scathing criticism of my (perhaps poor) attempt to joke about the incident (reference to L plates, I think) so it is unfortunate to see others , including my castigator, indulging in similar crass ‘humour’ when folks” careers are at stake…..

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Accidents happen, but this one was very peculiar indeed and should not have happened. The fault of the pilot or ATC or both remains to be seen..no doubt it will be hushed up.

[Author]

Posts