13 March 2007
Biman A310 Loses Nosegear
Dubai International Airport was closed at least eight hours Monday morning,
after a Biman
Bangladesh Airbus A310 suffered an apparent nosegear collapse
and skidded to the end of runway
12L following an aborted
takeoff.
............Reuters reports 14 passengers were slightly injured in
the subsequent evacuation, out of 236 passengers and crew
onboard the
widebody airliner. Unconfirmed reports state the plane's crew aborted takeoff
due to an engine fire .............
The incident snarled operations at the busy Mideast airport, a major hub
for trade and tourism in the United Arab
Emirates. The accident shut down the
airport's only runway; a second runway is closed while it is widened
to
accommodate the upcoming Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Passengers said they
weren't told how long their flights would be stuck on the ground, and instead
got their
information from television news reports of the accident.
"It's
crazy, I can't get any sense out of anyone," said Joe Murphy, who was connecting
in Dubai on a trip from
Australia to the UK. "All I want to know is what's
happening."
...............
(Extracted from Propwash)
Fellow LML'ers
Proving that the LML is read by pilots worldwide, note how successful
the aborted takeoff was with nose assisted in braking Bangladesh
Airline's A310 at Dubai. As Rick said, forces were transferred
forward of the mains and the nose underbelly and radar pod were utilized to
add extra stopping power. Unfortunately, airliners are heavy and the
runway was slightly damaged (remember the IVx solution that would leave ruts in
a grass strip).
This maneuver was successful without using a squat override switch as
it was automatically induced with sufficiently hard braking
alone. I'm sure this feature was designed in by clever French engineers
whilst enjoying a croissant, a bit of brie and a nice Chardonnay.
Food for thought indeed.
Grayhawk
PS: Boeing take note!
PPS: This was possibly a collaboration of not only the French engineers,
but German (Knockwurst and beer) and English (Fish, chips and stout), too.
PPPS: Note that EZ-type aircraft embed a hockey puck in the nose, not only
for their notorious parking style but an effective friction device for use in
those cases where the nose gear is retracted and the plane is moving in contact
with earth. The puck and tarmac are compatible in that only the puck is
worn away, leaving a tell-tale black mark, measurable for determining the
stopping distance. Second-hand pucks obtained from the Chicago Blackhawks
are best because they receive little abuse by the 'Hawks during
their service on the ice.