Posted on 01/13/2006 6:10:00 PM PST by Strategerist
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – Alaska Airlines announced it has canceled 28 flights scheduled to operate this afternoon through Saturday morning as a result of the Mt. Augustine volcano eruption. The airline has canceled flights as a safety precaution related to the possibility of volcanic ash existing at altitude.
Starting at 3 p.m. Alaska time today, the airline will not operate scheduled flights between Anchorage, Alaska, and the following cities: Chicago; Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle. In addition, the airline will not operate scheduled flights between Fairbanks and Seattle.
Alaska Airlines expects to resume these flights Saturday morning. Alaska time on Saturday. The airline is monitoring the volcano on a continuous basis and may make additional changes to its flight schedule.
"We recognize these cancellations will significantly impact passengers intending to travel to or from Alaska," said Bill MacKay, Alaska's senior vice president for Alaska. "These decisions are guided by our commitment to safety. We are making every effort to accommodate passengers whose flight schedules have been disrupted."
Travelers are advised to check the status of flights at alaskaair.com or 1-800-ALASKAAIR. Specific information about making changes to flight itineraries due to these cancellations is available at alaskaair.com.
Alaska Airlines and sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 88 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air newsroom at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.
There was just a FOURTH eruption a few minutes ago, based on radar may be the largest of the day..still, these aren't really huge eruptions.
I just dug up the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) website, with Augustine current activity. It includes two webcams, one from 75 miles away in Homer, and one from Augistine Island.
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Augustine.php
I thought the ash wasn't blowing in the direction of Anchorage yet at any level but FL 50,000. Couldn't they just fly further north and east, diverting to Fairbanks if necessary?
Maybe Alaska Airlines knows something the rest of us don't. Augustine is much further away from Anchorage than Redoubt.
Yeah that's why it strikes me as a bit odd. The ash cloud from the most recent eruption is heading Southeast as well.
So many jets, miles away, from eruptions have been damaged in what was thought to be clear and clean air.
Ugh. Hope it settles down before my flight to Anchorage in 2-1/2 weeks...
No, they're not. Certainly not in absolute terms.
But, a comparitively insignificant amount of volcanic ash can trash a jet turbine engine in a moment.
They are mechanically intolerant of ingesting any quantity of ash.
Yes, but the ash clouds are fairly easily tracked on radar and satellite; these are REALLY small clouds.
I just don't see the logic behind canceling all these flights so far ahead of time.
Bring me back some Snow, and a Bear....:*)
Plus, better to cancel in advance than let a flight crew make the decision to stay on the ground.
Alaska Air has had a bad luck streak lately....
I got dusted twice by St. Augustine when I lived in Alaska. Those were comparitively small eruptive events too.
However, in the late 1800's Auggie erupted and dumped 18" of ash on the Kodiak Archpelago and unleashed an estimated 3m Tsunami on the village of Nanwalek. Don't underestimate St. Augustine!
I got dusted twice by St. Augustine when I lived in Alaska. Those were comparitively small eruptive events too.
However, in the late 1800's Auggie erupted and dumped 18" of ash on the Kodiak Archipelago and unleashed an estimated 3m Tsunami on the village of Nanwalek. Don't underestimate St. Augustine!
Alaska bump
Augustine must be rumbling again. As of approximately 6:58 p.m. (AK time) her seismic activity erupted again. She held on strong until approx. 7:09 p.m. and is now calmed down just a bit.
Three erroneous conclusions in one sentence!
Tracked on radar: rarely
Tracked by satellite: sometimes
Really small: usually, but can be hundreds of miles long.
Here's the facts the FAA requires airline pilots to know. Volcanic ash clouds are not detected by normal aircraft weather radar. Encounter with volcanic ash can disable turbine engines, pitot-static systems, and electronics. A preponderance of caution is appropriate.
What lousy timing for the volcano?: (
Or how about bringing back some Alaskan Volcanic Ash pottery.
UHG.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
410 AST FRI JAN 13 2006
THE CHANGE IN THE APPEARANCE OF THE RADAR DATA DISPLAYED ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE FORECAST WEB PAGE IS DUE TO THE CHANGE TO CLEAR AIR MODE. WE CHANGED TO THIS MODE TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO MONITOR THE ASH CLOUD IN LOWER COOK INLET.
You gotta be kidding. I've got a schedule that won't even let me poke my head outside the hotel until it's time to leave to return home (with the airport a mile away).
I do wish I could briing some snow home, though.
Even though (?) I have jury duty the following week...
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