Posted on 07/10/2006 11:53:58 AM PDT by oxcart
The collision of two NWA planes last year at Minneapolis/St. Paul International is still under investigation so NWA and the NTSB wouldn't comment for this story. In fact, investigators didn't want us to get our hands on the tape until now.
Experts who have viewed the tape wonder why the planes didn't explode on impact.
May 10, 2005, an airport security camera is rolling as Northwest flight 1849 pushes back from the gate. Onboard 38 passengers, five crew members and thousands of gallons of fuel for the flight to San Antonio.
At the same time, another Northwest plane is just arriving from Columbus. That plane's crew is just discovering their hydraulic system has failed. They cannot steer or stop. The out of control DC-9 with 99 people aboard slams into the larger airbus pushing it 60 feet.
"Once we got close to the terminal, everybody just popped the belt to get off the plane the next thing we know we hit the larger plane," one passenger said.
The collision is violent. The wing of the airbus rips open the cockpit of the smaller plane, jet fuel pours out.
Brian LaCroix of Allina Medical is part of a team of Twin Cities emergency personnel who have created a plan to deal with this type of crash.
"It had to be horrifying to be in that cockpit," said Brian LaCroix.
A single spark could have created a fireball.
"It is an ignition source away from a catastrophe, just an amazing catastrophe," LaCroix said. "Within the first several minutes we had 22 ambulances en route."
The tape shows ramp workers rushing to help passengers and crews escape. The back stairs of the DC-9 are quickly lowered and passengers are led to safety. On the airbus, the slide is deployed and passengers and crew jump out.
"There were firefighters and paramedics at the base of the slide," he said.
The result was the best possible outcome in a crash which, by many accounts, could have been the deadliest Minnesota has ever seen.
The DC-9 had reported hydraulic problems in flight, but landed without a problem and began taxiing just fine. It was only later on the ground that the control systems failed; it would have been impossible for the Captain to avoid a crash. The NTSB is still investigating the case.
Ah, NorthWorst Airlines. What with the strikes and the regular lousy service, I'd rather not fly them. Trouble is, they pretty much own MSP.
Still, their bankruptcy is near. Perhaps we'll end up with something better soon.
Didn't wait for the sign to go out... there is a reason they have those things people.
If the Airbus had its flaps down...it would be a no go on the lotto.
I know, I hear the calls at LAX nearly daily...
of course, they must be a little more professional there.
>>If every airplane that had a problem of some sort on take-off or landing were to be stopped at the end the runway, you'd turn every major airport in the world into a used airplane lot.
Anyone else notice the orange flash near the end of the collision sequence? Just forward of center on the bigger craft, at the top of the fuselage.
I could be wrong, but what I gathered from the commentary and the video was that the cockpit was ripped open and jet fuel was pouring in from the torn wing. If that is the case, then it would be pretty horrifying in that cockpit.
Most flights I've been on, the flight attendants also reminded people over the PA system to stay seated with belts fastened until the plane comes to a complete stop. Sometimes it's really better to just follow instructions from authority figures.
NTSB: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 Preliminary report;
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=CHI05MA111A&rpt=p
NTSB: Airbus Industrie A-319-114 Preliminary report;
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=CHI05MA111B&rpt=p
search in firefox extensions for "IE Tab"
On May 10, 2005, at 1930 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51, N763NC, collided with an Airbus A-319-114, N368NB, during taxi resulting in substantial damage to both airplanes near gate G10, at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both airplanes were operated by Northwest Airlines Inc. (NWA) under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 as scheduled-domestic passenger flights 1495 (N763NC) and 1849 (N368NB). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time the accident. Both airplanes were evacuated after the collision. N763NC's captain received serious injuries, the first officer received minor injuries, and a flight attendant received minor injuries. One flight attendant aboard N368NB received minor injuries. One ramp service agent received minor injuries.
N763NC departed Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, Ohio, at 1826 eastern daylight time and with a scheduled destination to MSP. N763NC experienced a reported loss of right hydraulic system fluid quantity during a climb to cruise from CMH. The flight continued to MSP where a landing was made without incident. The flight then taxied under its own power to gate G10 where it stopped and awaited a tow into the gate while N368NB was being pushed back by a tug. N763NC then moved forward and impacted the right wing of N368NB. Both airplanes were evacuated using N763NC's rear airstair door and N368NB's front left slide.
Examination of N763NC's right hydraulic system revealed the right hydraulic reservoir fluid quantity was below "EMPTY," and the left hydraulic reservoir fluid quantity was above "FULL." The right side hydraulic system was pressurized with hydraulic fluid and a leak from the rudder shutoff valve housing was noted. The rudder shutoff valve, part number 3772374-5503 G, serial number RON 1185, had a recorded total time in service of 62,436 hours. The rudder shutoff valve was removed and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory for further examination.
Now if you have jet fuel mist or vapor, it will go off like a fuel air explosive.
The same experts advise Hollywood on how big to make the explosions resulting from a unicycle falling off a cliff.
It's a miracle there was no ignition BBQing the crew and many passengers.
I fly SWA and NWA regularly. The SWA crew I was talking to yesterday said they are trying to get into MSP sometime next year.
Ah yes, and of course they don't have the benefit of having you being there doing their thinking for them.
Torn open fuel cell sitting over a torn open cockpit equals a potentially ugly issue in that cockpit.
How can it possibly be that in 2006, major airports either have absolutely no video, or some tourist's shaky videocam (complete with the cameraman's muffled screams), or worse still some grainy crap video from some surveillance camera that just happened to catch part of a crash??? Unfathomable!
There are at least 2 cameras in every 7-11 store, taping 24 hours a day, but no official airport cameras taping every single takeoff and landing of every plane, in every airport on earth?!
Absolutely unfathomable to me in this day and age!
Well, I certainly wouldnt have cleared a distressed aircraft to the gate...I would have sent an Alert 3 and roll them to the end of the runway.
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