[LaundryMan]

I would be interested to understand why a BA flight from SFO to Heathrow diverted via Shannon yesterday for a “planned crew change”

What is a planned crew change on an overnight flight from the States ?

[LaundryMan]

I should have shown the source of the information which is now shown

[rferguson]

Hi Laundryman,

It wasn’t a planned crew change as such.

The LHR-SFO route is a three pilot operation. One of the pilots became ill in SFO on the day of departure and was unable to operate. The flight was re-routed via SNN on the day to allow a tech-crew change there. The cabin crew operated the entire SFO-SNN-LHR flight with some caveats.

[LaundryMan]

Thank you for your explanation

[nevereconomy]

Comforting to see the 3 pilot situation – just would feel happier if we still had 4 engines on more flights..
I am sure you will all bombard me with statistics, but nice to have backup.

[mkcol74]

[postquote quote=984811][/postquote]

I don’t understand how 4 engines would have prevented the 3rd flight crew member falling ill.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bullfrog

[capetonianm]

Apart from one or two recent blips (RR Trent and so on) it has been more or less proved scientifically that 4 engines are no safer than 2. Twice as many turbine blades to throw, twice as many things to go wrong.

Nevertheless I feel safer on a 4 engined aircraft than two. It is one of those illogical prejudices which are hard to lose.

[capetonianm]

I was watching earlier one of the Air Crash Investigation programmes and it made me think of a couple of accidents where the pilot(s) have shut down the wrong engine on a twin, for example :
British Midland 737 Kegworth 08JAN89
TransAsia Airways ATR72 TPE 04FEB15
Lauda Air 767 BKK 26MAY91 (reverse thrust deployed)

Those accidents might not have occurred on a 4 engined a/c.

[Author]

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