Posted on 09/21/2005 4:21:43 PM PDT by kingu
A Jet Blue aircraft just did a low altitude flyby of Long Beach airport after reporting some concern with their forward gear. The television helicopter caught an image of it - the gear is turned sideways and tilted.
Aircraft is heading out towards the ocean to drop fuel, will turn around, and attempt a 'soft field' landing, keeping the nose up as long as possible.
And CNN Headline News, MSNBC, and CNBC - plenty of choices for them to have watched themselves.
Not so dumb of a question, considering that they WERE able to watch themselves on TV, now, was it?
As my pilot friend used to say, "It's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground!"
Ah yes, those were the days of perceptive journalism.
Thanks for a good laugh.
Did they show the part where the passengers were issued fresh underwear?
Perhaps. Especially at a low speed.
The ideal would be to have the wheels aligned with the flight path with a few degrees of free castoring play.
I found it interesting that the flare ups from the front gear occurred when the broken landing gear slid over the white stripes on the runway. I guess the next time, if they are worried about fire, they should keep the nose to one side or the other of the centerline.
If it's French, it must be benched!
Yes! What a job he did. Fantastic.
ULL ALARM TO LAX:
On Wednesday, September 21, 2005, at 1628 hours (4:28 p.m. PDT), twenty-four companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, one Assistant Chief Officer Command Team, five Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, four Battalion EMS Supervisors, twenty LAFD Rescue Ambulances, Heavy Rescue 56, two Urban Search and Rescue Teams, two LAFD Helicopters, one Los Angeles County Battalion Chief, one LA County Fire Company, two LA County Fire Boats, two Coast Guard Fire Boats, five private Ambulances, and other city and state agencies, under the direction of Deputy Chief Mario D. Rueda, were pre-deployed to Los Angeles International Airport in response to an in bound Jet Blue Aircraft with a nose gear problem. The Los Angeles Fire Department was informed that A Jet Blue Air Bus, with one hundred and forty-five passengers and crew-members had departed Bob Hope Airport in Burbank en route to JFK Airport in New York had discovered a problem with its landing gear. The pilot was directed to divert to Long Beach Airport for an emergency landing. On a low altitude fly-by at Long Beach Air Port, it was quickly ascertained by the tower that the nose gear of the aircraft was not properly in place for a routine landing. Due to the position of the nose gear at a 90-degree angle and the problem that may ensue upon landing, the aircraft was directed to land at LAX on Runway 25Left, the southern most runway. At approximately 6:17 p.m. PDT, with LAFD resources strategically place along the runway and staged at a near by fire station, Jet Blue Flight 292 landed safely on runway 25 left amid sparks, smoke, and flames from the burning tires. All of the passengers and crewmembers were safely evacuated from the aircraft and no injuries were reported. The cause of the malfunctioning nose gear is under investigation by LAX authorities, the NTSB, the FAA, and other investigative agencies.
Jet Blue - French plane, right?
True. dump fuel capability is not in many planes anymore. Easier and cheaper to just fly around. Dump fuel capability adds additional weight and complexity.
Yes but I am sure there is a crossover line where fuel dump capability would be required. I am not current on the regs, stc's (and such right now), but for an extreme example, you would have to be able to dump fuel on 747-400.
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