Posted on 06/22/2006 8:43:39 AM PDT by canuck_conservative
When the PanAm flight was hit by lightning and blew up the FAA mandated that all aircraft be equipped with static discharge wicks. In the event of a lightning strike, the plane conducts the excess electricity through its skin and structure to the wicks where it is safely discharged back into the atmosphere. And therefore it doesn't go BOOM.
Do you have a link to that please? I'd like to read it.
Or maybe they misspoke without knowing the facts?
Or maybe they misspoke without knowing the facts?
Non-Sequitur is also EOD and we stick together. We have a long list of stories that we always tell that match.
Bite your tongue! I'm ex-Navy, thank you very much, with a lot of sea time on DDGs and FFGs. I'm waiting for someone to dredge up "The Navy Shot It Down" again, then I'm all over it.
Doesn't that shoot the TWA 800 theory in the foot then?
Now you ARE kidding!
Which one?
That is a factually correct statement. For the most part, the problem has been engineered correctly. In fact, millions (billions?) of dollars and thousands of hours have been spent on designing aircraft based on the fact that everyone knows aircraft fuel tanks are a virtual bomb waiting to go off. Fortunately, the job has been done pretty well. But not perfectly. And there new guidelines, procedures and requirements being introduced to this day to minimize the opportunities for future explosions like the one that destroyed TWA 800.
"Plus the fact that I've flown recently and the floor of the plane gets cold VERY quickly. It would need to be hot, in the air, to explode."
No offense, but that is a classic example of a statement from someone who knows very little about what they are talking about, explaining away a situation that truly does exist, despite what "they've felt on the floor". Did you know for example, that beneath that floor is ducting that carries air hot enough to melt significant portions of the aircraft you are sitting in...the entire time you are flying in it.
I keep forgetting. Panetta and Stephanopolos are freakin' genius' who knew everything about everything. No way they could make a mistake.
That's interesting. I found all his arguments based on fact and actual experience allowing him to make real decisions based on logic and rational thought. What do you base your logic and rational thought on in this case?
It wasn't a lightning strike. It was determined that a high voltage electrical line touched the fuel probe lines OUTSIDE of the tank, this caused the fuel probe line to have a much larger charge of electicity than it could handle, this caused an arc in the fuel probel. Communications and the black boxes appear to have lost power for an instant prior to the explosion. It had nothing to do with static electricity.
Inspection of aircraft wiring of that type of system and age revealed that frayed wiring was common through out the airline industry.
I'm not offended but let me tell you, if they had all that da** hot air, they should have used some for our feet. I nearly had them in my lap trying to keep warm!
They were the lying mouthpieces that were told what not to say.
It probably happened almost every time that aircraft flew. Adding a spark into the mix only happened once. And the heating problem had already been identified by the USAF before TWA 800, and as a result, they changed their procedures regarding ground operations and the air conditioning packs. They obviously felt the threat was a real one.
I guess I was thinking of Sqantos. Anyway I did have a 36' sailboat that I did an Atlantic crossing on in the winter time. I learned you shouldn't try to cross the North Atlantic in the winter time in a 36' sailboat.
I would never bring that up about the Navy shooting it down, you got to hit it first. :)
I still say bunk. But you cann buy Clintons bull if you like. I just wouldn't expect you to. I am really surprised.
If I ever see your airplane sitting on the runway I will wash it for you.
And I'll tell you what I've said to others. I'm surprised when any Freeper buys what Clinton was selling.
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