Posted on 05/02/2006 3:10:56 PM PDT by oxcart
Houston firefighters are standing by for the emergency landing of a of a 50-passenger jet at Bush Intercontinental Airport, an airport spokesman said today.
The Continental Express Embraer 145 took off between 4 and 4:20 p.m., said Rich Fernandez, a spokesman for the Houston Airport System.
``It blew a tire on takeoff and is circling the airport now,'' Fernandez said. ``I do not know what airline this is.''
The Embraer 145 is known as a ``regional jet,'' Fernandez said.
Left gear, both tires completly gone.
I watched a King Air 200 do this 25 years ago in Salt Lake. Burned all his fuel, both props feathered over the threshold, landed on the two good (nose and left mains), held off as long as he could, no foam on runway. The right main did not extend.
When the wings touched the airplane spun around, lots of sparks, but everyone got off.
It can be done. Good Luck to the guys flying it.
Tower via local news estimates one hour.
FD Chief says landing at 6:15 CST
Fuel tanks are in the wings. Better land that puppy on fumes.
Are all flights grounded right now? There isn't any other air traffic is there?
Would foaming the runway help avert a massive fire?
Damn your good! Thanks, I am in Montgomery. Howdy neighbor.
Who makes the Embraer?
I heard all other runways are open and operating.
ABC or http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news&id=3870769 has live video.
KHOU and KPRC may also have live video as they are the other two major networks in Houston. The station websites are easy to find via Google, just enter KHOU or KPRC and they'll be at the top of the seach.
Prayers going up for the crew and the passengers.
I'll ask the stupid question. If they have to dump fuel anyway, why not proceed to destination?
That was definitely scary. I was riveted to the TV for that one. I couldn't believe the sparks and fire shooting out of that forward gear when it touched down on the runway.
Big airport. Traffic still moving in an out on other runways.
They don't want to raise the gear in case the blown tire caused other problems that would prevent the gear from lowering again. At the speeds and altitudes they'd have to use with gear down, they most likely don't have the range to get to MSP. Also, IAH is Continental's main hub, and they'd probably much rather have an airplane with maintenance problems land there than at an out-station like MSP.
Foaming will be done from what I have heard. And emergency crews staged to roll.
Thanks.
Maybe. I'm sure they will do it.
It also would help control/slow the plane.
King Air 200 is a TP, not a jet, and built like a tank! TP=Turbo Prop
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